Sunny days dry up hopes for an end to drought conditions
Another day of shirtsleeve weather quickened the growth of daffodils and made the crocuses glow Tuesday, but it will darken the hopes of power managers hoping for an end to yet another winter drought.
January marked the third consecutive month in Longview with sharply below normal rainfall. The city recorded an official total of 3.6 inches during the month, about 60 percent of average.
Since Nov. 1, the city has received only about half its normal rain.
"January was a miserable month," said Oregon State Climatologist George Taylor, who is based in Corvallis, referring to the lack of precipitation and above-average temperatures across the region.
A persistent high pressure ridge has shunted most storms to the south and north of Washington and Oregon. In addition, temperatures have spiked to record levels, with Portland (66 degrees), Eugene (67 degrees) and Corvallis (66 degrees) recording their highest January temperatures ever. Longview set a daily high of 62 degrees on Jan. 18. No wonder there's little snow around.
The National Weather Service is forecasting that runoff in the Columbia Basin through July this year will be only 79 percent of average, which would be the ninth lowest runoff since 1961.
The 2005 "water year" -- Oct. 1, 2004, through Sept. 30, 2005, -- is shaping up as the sixth consecutive year with below-average runoff in the Columbia Basin, said Mike Hansen, spokesman for the Bonneville Power Administration.
Drought conditions are not as severe as they were in 2001, which limited the Columbia to its second-lowest runoff ever and contributed to sharp power rate hikes. But continued dry weather could undermine BPA's efforts to keep electric rates stable, Hansen said.
He noted that the agency, which markets power from Columbia River hydroelectric dams, lowered its wholesale rates 7.5 percent in October. At the time, BPA officials assumed the Columbia would have average runoff, allowing the agency to bolster revenues with surplus power sales to other parts of the nation. However, if the snow and water is not available to generate the power, BPA may be forced to a rate increase this summer, Hansen said.
The Cowlitz PUD and most other local utilities buy the majority of their power from BPA, so a BPA rate hike could be passed on to local consumers.
Utility officials and weather forecasters are not ready to give up hope that the rain and snow will come.
"Historically, when we have had really dry mid-winters like this year, we've had a wet spring. At this point, that is our biggest hope," Taylor said, though he acknowledged, "We're never going to catch up."
"It's probably too late for the skiers to have a decent year."
BPA's Hansen said the situation becomes worse with each passing sunny day.
However, two years ago a "Miracle March" dramatically eased what had been a severe water shortage, and 2002 ended up with nearly average runoff, he recalled
Power managers are hoping for another miracle.
This story courtesy of The Daily News - Longview, WA:
Sunny days dry up hopes for an end to drought conditions
