It's no secret that the influence of the Pacific Ocean has everything to do with our weather and our climate. Moisture makes its way to the Pacific Northwest from the western tropical Pacific. There could be as much as 200 inches of rain in some locations of the Coast Range. Every five years or so, water off South America warms up while water becomes cooler than average in the western tropical Pacific. The result is less evaporation and less moisture on its way to the Pacific Northwest.
Winter is drier than average in Oregon and Washington.
California, on the other hand, has a wet winter. That appears to be the scenario for the winter of 1997-98. This could be very nice for Oregonians who are used to clouds and rain. But we pay the price later on with reduced water supplies in some areas. Three years of fairly good snowpack and timely rainfall have left the soil moisture levels relatively high.