There’s a bright side to the winter weather
By Terry Murry on Wednesday, February 17th, 2021 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
PENDLETON – The winter storms that left motorists stranded and shut down interstates was not bad news. Agriculture weather meteorologist Dennis Hull said it’s good news for farmers.
“Ten to 20 inches of snow equated to between one and two inches of moisture, which is a rise of eight to 10 percent in the last week, and this is a significant rise this late in the season,” Hull said.
Hull said the snow over the past several days has improved the mountain snow pack to near normal for February.
“That’s a rise of eight to 10 percent in the last week, and this is a significant rise, this late in the season,” he said.
As of Tuesday, the snowpack in the Walla Walla, Umatilla, and Willow Creek basins was 109 percent of normal. The John Day region was 113 percent and the Grande Ronde, Powder, Burnt River, and Imnaha area was at 106 percent.
