Experts from Oregon State University participated in a forum to discuss the summer’s wildfire outlook.
“This late snow and rain that we got and cooler temperatures actually substantially changed some of the drought outlooks for parts of the state, mostly in western Oregon and in northern Oregon around the counties that border the Columbia River Basin. That is really good news right now,” State Climatologist Larry O’Neill was quoted in the article. “The US Army Corps of Engineer projects in the Willamette Valley are doing very well and most surprisingly, it’s down into southwest Oregon. So, Lost Creek and Applegate are actually seeing very healthy in-flows.”
The improvements from this spring’s rain season most likely is not enough to prevent out-of-control wildfires this summer.
OSU Ecologist Erica Fleishman said, “Fire season is being pushed off a bit in most of the state because it’s been generally cool and, in some areas, fairly wet. But, if it becomes relatively hot and dry after that, which is in the longer range outlook – especially if there are high winds – I would say that the fire risk is similar to what it’s been the past couple of years.”
While our area of the state is doing okay, it’s still not enough to counter the years of drought conditions in the other parts of Oregon that still struggle. According to O’Neill, “Unlike the Western part of the state, Eastern and Central have not materially improved.” He said that some areas would need 200-300% of normal rainfall to get out of their drought situations. Adding, “Things in the Prineville and Ochoco, Bowman Dam systems, those are still near historical levels.”
By Stacey Newman Weldon
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