The Barometer Online

Issue date: 1/17/06 Section: News

Old Man Weather cut the Willamette Valley a break on Sunday, clearing out clouds and halting rain drops for the first time in 27 days.

At the Portland International Airport, rainfall has been recorded every day but one since Dec. 18, a wet pattern brought on by a La Niña situation in the Pacific Ocean, according to State Climatologist George Taylor.

In a La Niña, "the jet stream tends to be over the Northwest most of the time, and the jet stream is also where the storms are," Taylor said.

With a La Niña, the Pacific jet stream contains warm, moist air from the subtropics, mainly around Hawaii. Professionals call this the Subtropical Jet Stream while less-technical media reports have dubbed it the "Pineapple Express."

Within the first 12 days of January, Corvallis received 6.19 inches of precipitation, 90 percent of the 6.82-inch monthly average recorded in 31 days.

"The long-term average for the first 12 days is 2.68 inches," Taylor said. "We're well ahead of what we're supposed to get at this time of the month."

Since October, when the water year begins, Corvallis has seen 28.15 total inches of precipitation, or 138 percent of the 20.33-inch water year average. Last year at this time, precipitation was only at 60 percent of average.

"We seldom get a normal year," Taylor said.

Precipitation also includes snow, which has continued to pile up in the mountains while the valley swims through puddles.

High elevation areas like Timberline, Mount Hood Meadows and Mount Bachelor are wading through more than 100 inches of snow now, and Taylor doesn't forsee a significant break in the action soon.

"The end is not in sight," he said. The Sunday dry-out was brief, and another system moved into the valley, covering the sky with dark clouds once more.

Nightmares of the 1996 flood have begun to swirl in the rising rivers, including the Marys River, which reached 21.5 feet at Philomath in December, more than half a foot higher than the previous record of 20.9 feet set on Jan. 15, 1974.

"It's been comparable to 1996 in tributaries and small rivers, but not the big rivers like the Willamette," Taylor said.

Despite the recent weather patterns, Taylor said no precipitation or temperature records have been broken, and the sponge may actually wring itself dry by the time March comes around.

"Look for a relatively dry and mild spring," Taylor said.

It may be hard to believe at this point, but Taylor was right on when his annual forecast called for dry and mild conditions to extend well into October with winter storms beginning in November.

Maybe there's still hope for those in the valley who don't own a boat.

For Taylor's annual forecast, visit the Oregon Climate Service Web site at http://www.ocs.oregonstate.edu.

 

Karri Pasteris, staff writer

city@dailybarometer.com, 737-6376

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