Video: When was the last time Oregon had a statistically ‘cool’ year?
Explore Oregon Podcast host Zach Urness talks with Oregon state climatologist Larry O’Neill about Oregon’s string of historically hot years.
A winter storm watch has been issued for Oregon’s mountain roads from the afternoon of April 14 through the night of April 15.
The National Weather Service forecasts that between 10 to 20 inches of snow could fall on mountain passes, with winds gusting up to 45 mph.
Travel could be challenging at times above 3,500 feet, particularly on U.S. Highway 20 on Santiam Pass and Highway 58 on Willamette Pass. Snow is also likely to impact the Government Camp and Mount Hood area.
NWS said the heaviest snow is expected between Mount Jefferson and Willamette Pass.
“Hazardous conditions possible over Cascade passes,” NWS wrote in a warning. “Roads, and especially bridges and overpasses, will likely become slick and hazardous.”
The snow will be helpful but not nearly enough to make a dent in Oregon’s deep “snow drought” in the mountains, caused by the warmest winter on record. The state has the smallest amount of snow on record, currently just 5-10% of normal in western Oregon, and 12% of normal statewide.
Mount Bachelor and Timberline Lodge are the only two ski areas that remain open in Oregon — and Bachelor is closing April 19.
Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter in Oregon for 18 years and is host of the Explore Oregon Podcast. He can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on X at @ZachsORoutdoors and BlueSky at oregonoutdoors.bsky.social
