On Tuesday, they calculated a 60-inch base at the Mount Hood site. This year, Oregon's snowpack ranks fourth of the 11 Western states that Fox tracks from his Portland office. Washington has the most snow, at 103 percent of average. Arizona has the least, with just 5 percent of its average. The conservation service keeps a close watch on the snowpack because snowmelt accounts for about 75 percent of the water in the state's streams and rivers.
Farmers depend on the information, as do wildlife managers and municipal water agencies.
Fox said it appears Mount Hood has enough snow to ensure an adequate summer water supply for the Portland area, which draws its water from the Bull Run River on the flanks of the mountain. In addition, the lack of cover at lower elevations means the threat of spring flooding is minimal. The biggest concern now might be avalanches, he said. The Mount Hood test site has seen no new snow since Dec. 18. The surface is slippery and hard, Fox said, and it might not provide a stable base for future snowfall.