HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR
330 PM PDT FRI JAN 11 2008
...OREGON WATER SUPPLY SUMMARY UPDATED JANUARY 11TH...
FALL AND EARLY WINTER PRECIPITATION HAS EASED CONCERNS OF DROUGHT
CONDITIONS THAT EXISTED IN MUCH OF EASTERN OREGON DUE TO THE LACK OF
PRECIPITATION AND MOUNTAIN SNOW DURING THE WINTER OF 2006-2007. THE
EASTERN PORTION OF THE STATE REMAINS IN A MODERATE DROUGHT CATEGORY...
BUT THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT FROM THE SEVERE DROUGHT CATEGORY
THE AREA WAS UNDER IN THE FALL. NOTE THAT STATE AND FEDERAL DROUGHT
DECLARATIONS REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES: BAKER...
GRANT...HARNEY...LAKE...MALHEUR...UNION...AND WALLOWA.
PRECIPITATION SO FAR THIS WINTER HAS BEEN NEAR OR ABOVE NORMAL
ACROSS THE STATE. THE SNOWPACK IN THE NORTH AND CENTRAL OREGON
CASCADES IS MUCH ABOVE NORMAL...WHILE THE SNOWPACK IN THE SOUTH
OREGON CASCADES...BLUE MOUNTAINS...AND OTHER MOUNTAINS OF CENTRAL
AND EASTERN OREGON IS NEAR OR SOMEWHAT ABOVE NORMAL.
DROUGHT RELIEF IS LIKELY TO CONTINUE...AS THE JANUARY - MARCH 2008
OUTLOOK FROM NOAA'S CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER CALLS FOR
ABOVE-NORMAL PRECIPITATION AND NEAR-NORMAL TEMPERATURES ACROSS MUCH
OF OREGON...BASED ON LA NINA CONDITIONS WHICH ARE EXPECTED TO
CONTINUE INTO THE SPRING 2008 IN THE TROPICAL PACIFIC.
A DETAILED WATER SUPPLY OUTLOOK FOR THE COMING SPRING AND SUMMER
WILL BE ISSUED BY FEBRUARY 11TH.
===================================================================
...PRECIPITATION ACROSS OREGON...
PRECIPITATION DURING NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER 2007 WAS ABOVE-NORMAL IN
MOST BASINS. THE FOLLOWING TABLE SHOWS BASIN PRECIPITATION IN TERMS
OF PERCENT OF NORMAL FOR THE 2007 WATER YEAR (OCTOBER 2006 TO
SEPTEMBER 2007) AND THE 2008 WATER YEAR THUS FAR (OCTOBER 2007 TO
DECEMBER 2007).
BASIN PERCENT OF AVG FOR WATER YR 2007 WATER YR 2008
OCT 06-SEP 07 OCT 07-DEC 07
...CENTRAL AND EASTERN OREGON...
KLAMATH (OREGON ONLY) 91 112
LAKE COUNTY/GOOSE LAKE 81 95
HARNEY/MALHEUR BASIN 74 97
OWYHEE/MALHEUR 72 103
GRANDE RONDE/BURNT 70 129
UPPER JOHN DAY 88 112
UMATILLA/LOWER JOHN DAY 101 131
UPPER DESCHUTES/CROOKED 91 113
HOOD/LOWER DESCHUTES 107 121
...WESTERN OREGON...
WILLAMETTE VALLEY 101 108
ROGUE/UMPQUA 107 114
==================================================================
...SNOWPACK ACROSS OREGON...
SNOW ACCUMULATION HAS BEEN ABOVE NORMAL THUS FAR THIS WINTER IN THE
OREGON CASCADES...ESPECIALLY SO IN THE CENTRAL AND NORTH PART...WITH
SNOWPACK RANGING FROM ABOUT 125 TO 175 PERCENT OF NORMAL. SNOWPACK
IN THE BLUE MOUNTAINS AND OTHER MOUNTAINS OF EASTERN OREGON IS NEAR
TO SOMEWHAT ABOVE NORMAL...RANGING FROM ABOUT 90 TO 120 PERCENT OF
NORMAL. THE SNOW ACCUMULATION SEASON GENERALLY CONTINUES INTO AT
LEAST EARLY APRIL...SO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THE SNOWPACK ARE
POSSIBLE THROUGH THE REST OF WINTER AND EARLY SPRING.
FOR MORE DETAILS ON OREGON SNOWPACK...VISIT THE FOLLOWING SITES:
NORTHWEST RIVER FORECAST CENTER WATER SUPPLY SNOWPACK PAGE...
http://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/snow/snow.cgi
NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE WATER & CLIMATE CENTER...
http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/snowcourse/sc-snowpack.html
==================================================================
...OBSERVED STREAMFLOW...
OBSERVED STREAMFLOW ON NATURAL-FLOWING RIVERS HAS GENERALLY BEEN
NEAR NORMAL IN RECENT WEEKS...WITH SOME PERIODS OF ABOVE-NORMAL FLOW
AND FLOODING IN WESTERN OREGON IN NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER. FOR MORE
DETAILS ON OBSERVED STREAMFLOW TRENDS IN OREGON...VISIT:
http://water.usgs.gov/waterwatch/
FOR BASIN-SPECIFIC WATER SUPPLY FORECAST INFORMATION...VISIT:
NOAA/NWS NORTHWEST RIVER FORECAST CENTER:
http://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/water_supply/water_supply.cgi
NOAA/NWS CALIFORNIA/NEVADA RIVER FORECAST CENTER:
http://www.cnrfc.noaa.gov/water_supply.php
BRYANT