Oregon Public Broadcasting

Oregon’s snowpack is about 85-percent of normal according to monthly snow survey conducted Thursday by the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Washington is about 75-percent of average, says Jon Lea, the snow survey coordinator.

This is important, Lea says, because more than two-thirds of water in the western U.S. comes from snow.“So by monitoring that snowpack, you have a good feel for what you can expect for run-off in spring and summer,” says Lea.This information is crucial for utilities, farmers, and fish and wildlife biologists.  For example, a farmer can plan what crops to plant based on how much irrigation water will be available in the summer.The snowpack on Mt. Hood is an average of 104 percent of normal for all the snow survey sites on the mountain. But other parts of the state don’t have quite as much snow this year.“The two real problem basins that we’re keeping an eye on closely from a water supply standpoint are the Malheur basin and the Harney basin.  Those are the only two basins where it’s below 70-percent of average right now,” says Lea.Oregon’s snowpack usually maxes out around April 1st though, says Lea, so there’s still time for more to accumulate.

The snowpack is measured by a network of SNOTEL sites maintained by the NRCS throughout the west.  About fifty percent of the sites can be monitored remotely by computer, while the others require monthly visits to record information.