NOAA: Oregon could see warm start to winter

The beginning of winter could be warmer than normal in Oregon and the Northwest, according to the National Weather Service’s three-month outlook.

The annual predictions show a “greater possibility” of warm temperatures in the Pacific Northwest from November to January, along with a neutral possibility of wet weather.

The predictions spotlight an important time for Oregon — the time when snow piles up in the Cascade Range for the winter recreation season.

Snow?! It's coming to Cascades this weekend

“It's too soon to make any sort of snowpack prediction, but look at how (warmer-than-normal) temperature hit the snowpack the last two years,” said Kathie Dello, deputy director of the Oregon Climate Service at Oregon State University. “In 2015, we had almost no snow. In 2016, there was a rapid meltout.”

Snowpack predictions have been all over the place this fall.

Meteorologist Chris Tomer predicted above average snowpack for Oregon’s Cascade Range in the blog “On the Snow.” Likewise, long-ranger forecaster Paul Pastelok, who works with the weather service AccuWeather, said the Pacific Northwest would see snow piling up “right off the bat in December.”

In other words, take every long-term forecast with a grain of salt.

“Right now it's wait and see,” Dello said.

Oregon snowpack at record lows