Too much snow in Oregon – In July

14 Responses to Too much snow in Oregon – In July

1. D. M. Mitchell says:

   July 30, 2012 at 9:12 am

   The early Spanish explorers of California called the main mountain chain, the Sierra Nevada, which can be translated to “snowy mountains.” Of course, most mountains in the northern hemisphere in winter are snowy, or snow-covered. That makes me think that when the Spanish explorers were first in California the mountains were snow-covered even in the summer. We haven’t had that for several years now, but this trend is probably going to reverse itself . . . and soon.
2. Billsocal says:

   July 30, 2012 at 9:20 am

   Something is not sounding right. They are still having snow in Oregon and Washington. Normally the weather pattern is east to east. Yet none of this wet weather is making it to the Mid West. Is the government causing the drought on purposes? They talk of the South Plate river becoming a stream. Yet farmer s along the river are having their basement flooded out by the underground water and their skeptic system being damaged. Something is happening and we are not being told and are being lied to.
3. Paul says:

   July 30, 2012 at 9:57 am

   This must mean air temperatures at mid levels are declining.
   • Ralph says:

     July 31, 2012 at 4:45 am

     This sounds right. Probably why there were so many hail reports this year and massive accumulations of it. (some up to 4 feet drifts!)http://www.city-data.com/forum/weather/1604150-hail-storms-2012-a.html
4. Duster says:

   July 30, 2012 at 10:30 am

   I’ve worked in the High Cascades in the summer months and have been snowed in June an July, but nothing significant. Certainly there were no standing snow drifts.
5. TomO says:

   July 30, 2012 at 10:49 am

   I found the article entertaining, although when it got to the end and pitched a little environmentalism, it lost a little luster. Then I looked at the headline directly below – Inside the New York Times – and read – Canada’s carbon, our pipeline, and how the White House had to evaluate the Keystone pipeline based on it’s climate impact. Then I realized I was still in the land of the enemy afterall!
6. john the 1st says:

   July 30, 2012 at 11:07 am

   Both the Sierra Nevada and the Cascades have snow on them year round. They are the main water shed for many municipalities. The question is, is it normal for there to be snow at the elevations this family was at, during this part of the year?
7. Ralph Mabee says:

   July 30, 2012 at 1:36 pm

   I live in central Oregon and in my younger days spent 15 years on the Deschutes County search and rescue mountain rescue team. This year has seen a lot more snow above 7,000 ft. I doubt the snow pack will melt off completely before the snow starts up again in October. The trails will be hard to locate this year. Carry an up to date topo map and carry a topnotch compass like a Silva Ranger. Having a GPS is good too so if you are in trouble and high enough your cell phone might get help on the way.
8. Jim says:

   July 30, 2012 at 3:24 pm

   There is no government plot. The jet stream has shifted more north. The west to east flow being uplifted by the mountains causes the moisture to condense and come down in the mountains as either snow or rain. This year the snow pack has not melted as fast because of less solar radiation so the rivers don’t get as much flow but the moisture has more time to soak in due to the slow melt and that feeds the underground aquafiers, thus flooding basements and septic tank systems.
9. Frank says:

   July 30, 2012 at 9:22 pm

   Here we go again, another nail in the coming ice age, sooner than we think. Robert are you tired of being right all the time ?
10. two points says:

    July 30, 2012 at 10:53 pm

    OK, to add to this Oregon cold is that in London. My Real Science comment:
    One thing they can’t “adjust” for is when we go outside and it’s colder then its ever been. There was one little regional heat wave in the US that got all the media attention, but all year long and over all 4 corners of the planet we’ve had record -cold- being reported. This has not been consistent with the contention that we live in a period of record runaway heat. Not close.
    And the coup de gras, I just tuned in to see the ladies play some summer olympic volleyball, and instead of the promised bikinis, they’re wearing these thick long underwear outfits to keep from getting frostbite. If anything is proof that gwarming is a dud, look at these women volleyball players in London, a day away from it being August, in the middle of the day, but dressed in double layers and covering their ankles like they’re trying to appease the Taliban.
11. Jim says:

    July 31, 2012 at 6:23 am

    Here is an odd thought, why were the spaniards of the 16-1700′s dressed the way they were. Global warming or the cool period. Why were they so anxious to get to a new, warmer land? And not just for the gold? Remember there were bad times in europe then, cold cooling to the south, years without a crop, people were starving to death, whole families in there houses in europe. The styles of clothing didnt change until the 1900′s when less clothing came into fashion because of the ambient tempreture. Religion didn’t change, social mora’s didn’t change, the weather changed.
    • F. Guimaraes says:

      August 2, 2012 at 3:28 am

      Yes, basically due to solar radiation.
      Now it’s completed a full cycle and is changing again probably back to what it was during the XVII century.
    • F. Guimaraes says:

      August 2, 2012 at 3:43 am

      Interesting how climate has a profound impact on human life, even on how we behave, isn’t it?