Oregon — Are you planning an Oregon ski trip this winter? If you are, a good starting point is this video by KGW News.
In a recent video by KGW News, Meteorologist Rod Hill broke down what people in the Portland metro area and Mt. Hood should expect for this winter.
Rod has been issuing these winter forecasts for a long time, with his first one dating back to the 2000-01 season. After being frustrated with NOAA’s above/and below-normal outputs, he dug into the data to make his own series of predictions.
For Portland, some snow is expected, although it likely won’t be excessive. Portland doesn’t see the snow totals that Hood does due to its lower elevation. The greatest chance of a significant snowstorm (above six inches) is in February 2026.
For skiers, the primary concern is Mt. Hood. With a La Niña winter, this typically means above-average precipitation for the Northwest. There’s also a belief that it may transition to a Neutral pattern, which would yield decent, but slightly under-normal numbers for Hood. Rod Hill is seeing parallels between last winter and this upcoming ski season. Last ski season saw a very nice base buildup by Christmastime. The other comparison years include 2000-01, 2016-17, 2017-18, and 2022-23.
Overall, the snow base predictions for Christmas Week are 72″ at Timberline, 57″ at Mt. Hood Ski Bowl, and 34″ at Mt. Hood Meadows. That would be 85% of normal, which is considered pretty, pretty good.
Image/Video Credits: Daphne Fecheyr, KGW News, Tania Mirón
