April could be cooler, wetter

By on Tuesday, April 4th, 2023 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories

PENDLETON – After three months of below normal precipitation throughout the region, National Weather Service Meteorologist Camden Plunkett sees a change. He said the Climate Prediction Center gives it a 33 to 40 percent chance that precipitation will be higher than normal this month.

“As for temperatures, there’s a 33 to 50 percent chance that April will be cooler than normal,” Plunkett said. “The lowest probabilities in that range are up for the Washington side of the area near Walla Walla and the highest probability is towards Pendleton.”

Plunkett said there was only a trace of snow recorded – 0.7 percent of an inch – recorded in March, and that snow on April 3 already totals more than the amount recorded for the entire month of March.

Plunkett said the snowpack is above normal for all of Oregon and the same holds true for southeast Washington. He added that forecasters are keeping an eye on the snowpack as temperatures warm, but there are no immediate flood concerns as of April 3.