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September 5, 2006
By TY BEAVER
Will the Klamath Basin get a white Christmas? Or good skiing in the nearby
mountains?
Maybe. Maybe not.
State climatologist George Taylor issued his annual state forecast last
week, and unlike last year's wet and wild winter, he predicted a “dull”
winter statewide.
But for the Basin, that prediction
won't necessarily hold true.
“Klamath Falls is right on that transition and weird things can happen and
often do,” he said.
Fall is expected to start with warmer than average temperatures and little
precipitation. Meteorologist Dave Houk with AccuWeather.com said
temperatures this month are expected to be 6 degrees Fahrenheit above
average.
A weak El Nino effect will keep most of the state relatively warm through
the winter, Taylor said, pushing the jet stream north of the state's
northern border and preventing cold arctic winds from pushing south.
The Klamath Basin is expected to remain average in temperature and
precipitation to start the winter season, with temperatures climbing above
average after January.
Snowpack in the mountains is expected to be above average, following a trend
for the southern Cascade Mountains over past few years, but the Basin won't
be as snowbound as it was last year, Taylor said.
Last winter, which followed Taylor's prediction, was defined by lots of snow in the mountains and in the Basin itself. Despite last year's successful forecast, Taylor was cautious in his prediction for this year. El Ninos are difficult to predict, as are transitional areas, such as the Basin, he said.
Other weather experts both agree and disagree with
Taylor's forecast.
The Farmer's Almanac has the Klamath Basin near the borders of its
Intermountain and Pacific Northwest zones. It predicts both zones will have
colder than normal temperatures this winter, and either average or above
average snowfall.
The Climate Prediction Center also advocated above average temperatures
throughout fall and winter, with precipitation below average in the fall and
with equal chances of above, at or below average in the winter.
