Oregon Snowpack Above Average Despite Dry February

Salem-News.com

(Mt. Hood AP) - It's been a good winter for those who depend on a plentiful snowpack.

A wet and snowy December and January has allowed Oregon to weather a drier than average February.

The snowpack stood at 116 percent of normal as of Monday.

A hydrologist with the U-S Natural Resources Conservation Services says it's the kind of year Oregon likes to see. Jon Lea also says if everything holds, the water supply outlook is good.

The above-average snowpack has been great for ski area operators. And it's expected to provide more than adequate supplies of water for farmers, fisheries and hydroelectric power generation during the spring and summer runoff.

Last year at this time, Oregon's statewide snowpack stood at 40 percent of normal.