Extreme low moisture winter in the PNW! How does it compare to past years?

[mad murdock]

We are currently at 20% or so of normal rain and snow pack for the coastal mountains and cascades in the willamette valley region and really extending north and south to neighboring states. Anyone who has lived long term in this region ever seen a winter like this?  We have a helicopter being called up for fire duty on a fire today. Over NE of Silverton Ore. Pretty early to be concerned about fires, normally we get a lot of moisture February thru March/April, not sure what this year will bring, but if the last few months are any indication, the woods will get shut off early. The Tillamook SF is not too far from me, and it will be ripe for a new "Tillamook Burn" as the forest is maturing now after decades of reforestation in the years following the historic Tillamook Burn.  Been a few fires already in so cal that have burnt up homes too.

[Den Socling]

Homes can be rebuilt in short order. Seeing trees burn is always sad. Even if it's part of nature's plan.

[SLawyer Dave]

In 45 years of my memory, I have never seen such a dry winter here in Northern California.  It is truly scary how little rain we have gotten.  January is generally our wettest month, and we have had less than .2 of an inch.  The lakes are already at almost historic lows and DROPPING.  There is a well drilling bonanza going on right now as Farmers have already been notified that they will at best get 20% of their normal allotment of surface water, (irrigation projects).  With all that pumping, that will of coarse drop the water table even more, and I am very worried my 60' well may go dry.

[Roxie]

The Farmer's Almanac has predictions of dry and chilly for your zone.  They go on to note, "And yet, the Pacific Northwest where indeed wet weather is almost a given during the winter months, the overall winter season could average out drier than normal." 

[turnkey]

We are currently at 20% or so of normal rain and snow pack for the coastal mountains and cascades in the willamette valley region and really extending north and south to neighboring states. Anyone who has lived long term in this region ever seen a winter like this?  We have a helicopter being called up for fire duty on a fire today. Over NE of Silverton Ore. Pretty early to be concerned about fires, normally we get a lot of moisture February thru March/April, not sure what this year will bring, but if the last few months are any indication, the woods will get shut off early. The Tillamook SF is not too far from me, and it will be ripe for a new "Tillamook Burn" as the forest is maturing now after decades of reforestation in the years following the historic Tillamook Burn.  Been a few fires already in so cal that have burnt up homes too.

It's the same over here on the dry  side.  We ended December 5 " below normal precip.  Not much?  Yes it is a lot as we only get about 16" annually and that missing 5" is all from the last 3 months - our wet season.  That will never be made up.  Snow pack in the mountains over here is also way down.  The ski slopes got a good start early in November but not much of anything since.

Top of my head.  Stats say that the season is the third (may have been 4th) driest on record and only missed coming up one place by a few hundredths.

Harry K

[terry f]

    If you click on the trip check camera at Meacham you will see bare ground where there should be three foot of snow. Eastern Oregon is dry anyway, and most of our moisture comes as snow, going to be a scary fire season. My sister posted a picture of the old 99 bridge and train tunnel at Shasta Lake, on facebook last week. This should be under 30 foot of water, and I still couldn't see the lake.

[thecfarm]

All that does not sound good. I do hope it will change for you all. Just not too much of a change.
Just like the old farmer joke,I spend half my time praying that it will rain and the other half praying that it will stop.

[Brucer]

Same thing up here in the BC interior. Normally at the end of January the snow on the woodshed roof is 4 to 5 feet deep. Right now it's barely a foot.

Our world class ski hill was in the New York times this fall after they cleared 1000 acres of new runs and put in a new lift on an adjacent mountain. All the locals were dying to get up there and try the new terrain, but it is awful.

Last time it "snowed" here was two weeks ago yesterday, and that was only 3 cm (1-1/4"). Usually we see 5 times that much in a snowfall, several days in a row.

Normally Barb worries about the snow load on the roof about now. This year she's worried about drought and summer forest fires.

As to whether I've seen it this bad before, nope, and I've lived here for close to 40 years. Apparently there was one really bad year in Rossland just before I was born -- but no one thought it was bad because the ski hill hadn't been built yet.

[RPF2509]

Talking around here in N. Ca everyone says that '78 was the last time it was so dry.  Right now we have bare ground everywhere where there should be several feet of snow.  Even Mt. Shasta is bare on the south and west face to the summit.  The entire sierra nevada is bare of snow.  It will be dire if there is no snow pack come end of February.  Last year we had a good snow in early january but then it stopped and nothing fell for much of the year. 2013 was recorded as the driest year ever in CA.