Oregon’s low snowpack is result of one of the warmest winters recorded. That’s according to a report released by Oregon State University.
In February, more than 100 high temperature records were broken throughout the state. Director of the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute Phillip Mote says the state also experienced unusually long intervals without rain or snow.
Mote: “The very cold, snowy winter in New England was actually connected with the mild winter we had out here. There was a large, what we call a ridge in the atmosphere. Basically the flow went north instead of directly east into the Northwest carrying storms up to Alaska making it unusually warm up there as well.”
Mote says there isn’t one single factor that caused the unusual weather pattern this winter. With a warm spring forecasted, it’s extremely unlikely Oregon will see a late season snow pack recovery. Mote says this was the warmest winter on record for Eugene.