PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Anyone who’s been up to Mount Hood lately knows just how little snow there is on the ground as of late January. But just how much below average are we at this point, now that we are midway through winter?
The latest data from the Mount Hood Snowtel test site, located at approximately the 5,300 ft. elevation on Mt. Hood, confirms just how far below average we are. This test site has been in operation since 1979 and measures key components such as snow water equivalent, snow depth, and total precipitation. As of January 23, the current snow water equivalent is 9.9 inches. That is just 32% of the median at this point in the winter. The long-term median snow water equivalent for late January is approximately 30.6 inches. The record-low snowpack or snow water equivalent (SWE) was in 1985. The record high was in 1981.
It’s interesting to note that the winters of 2004/2005 and 2014/2015 line up best with the current winter. However, both of those winters were El Niño winters. El Niño is defined as warmer-than-normal ocean water temperatures in the tropical Pacific. As of January 2026, we are neutral to slightly “La Niña” across the tropical Pacific. La Niña is defined as ocean water temperatures being cooler than normal across the tropical Pacific. One would expect the snow water equivalent (SWE) in the Cascades to be higher than where it is as of late January. So, the current trend is opposite of what would historically occur on average.
So, why is this happening? A persistent ridge of high pressure over the entire west coast for much of January is rare, but not unheard of for this time of the year. One year ago, Portland set a new record for consecutive dry days in the month of January, at 18. As of Friday, there has been no measurable rainfall at PDX since January 11. That’s 12 straight days without measurable rainfall at the airport. We are likely to tack on at least four more consecutive days without measurable rainfall in Portland. This includes no additional snowfall on Mount Hood. In fact, as of Friday morning, there is just 37 inches of snow on the ground at Mount Hood Meadows (5,300 ft.)…