© 2002
The Nugget Newspaper
Sisters, Oregon
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The contents of the on-line edition of The Nugget represent a selection among the stories that appear in the weekly print edition.

Sisters was dry in 2002
By Raymond R. Hatton

The main feature of the weather in Central Oregon was the unbroken spell of dry weather that lasted from February 1 through November 2002. Even with near-average precipitation in January and December, the year 2002 was extremely dry. Here are the year 2002 totals (in inches) for selected weather stations:

Bend's total of 6.14 inches for the year 2002 was the fourth driest on record. Only in 1949 (6.04 inches), 1959 (5.75 inches) and 1994 (5.40 inches) have there been drier years in Bend during the 100 year period 1902-2002.

The 6.87 inches in Sisters ranks as the driest year (period 1961-2002), a little over two inches less than 8.89 inches in 1994. Redmond's near four inches shows how dry it can be in Central Oregon.

By way of contrast, dry as it has been for much of 2002 at the Santiam Junction weather station, only about 30 miles west of Redmond, the January-November 30 precipitation totaled 38.75 inches. (December data for Santiam Junction were not available at this time).

Following a rather chilly January that included minimums of 7 degrees F. in Sisters and Bend and 1 degree F. at Black Butte Ranch, snow falls in the local area included 23.50 inches at Black Butte Ranch, and 112.5 inches at Santiam Junction.

There were no winter storms in February 2002, a month that included several sunny days, two days with maximums of 60 degrees F. plus, and no maximum temperatures that were below 40 degrees F. in Sisters.

Except for the last week of the month when, with sunny skies, the mercury reached the 60-69 degrees F. range in Sisters, March was generally cooler than normal.

Sisters' temperature averaged 3.1 degrees F. below long-term. The month was extremely dry, with only 0.25 inches of precipitation in Sisters.

Spring teasers, a few days with sunshine and many 60-degree F. temperatures continued through April and May. April included a pleasant 72 degrees F. maximum (April 24), but also a frigid 17 degrees F. minimum (April 23). May was the driest such month on record.

From February 1 through May 31, precipitation in Sisters totaled only 1.20 inches (28 percent of average for that period).

Following frost (28 degrees F.) on June 6 and 7, summer weather arrived with readings in Sisters of 89 degrees F. (June 13), and 95 degrees F. (June 26).

July was a scorcher.

Following a pleasant 81 degrees F. on Independence Day, Old Man Sol beamed and beamed.

From July 9 to 24, the maximum temperature in Sisters averaged 93.1 degrees F. and included readings of 102 degrees F. (July 10), 103 degrees F. (July 11) and 104 degrees F. (July 12).

Adding to the daytime heat were the warm nights (minimums of 60 degrees F. or higher in Sisters on eight nights) and, later, smoke-filled skies from lighting-caused blazes near Sisters. Not until after mid-August did cooler weather arrive.

Many people consider the fall months to have the best weather in Central Oregon. The fall weather of 2002 was not a disappointment, as there was a procession of sunny warm days and cool nights from September until near late October, when just prior to Halloween, Mother Nature played a trick­delivering a blast of Arctic air to Central Oregon.

The -4 degrees F. in Sisters on October 31 was the first October sub-zero temperature on record in Sisters.

November was a mixed bag of leftovers from the Arctic invasion followed by a return to Indian Summer weather which, in turn, gave way to weak storm systems that brought clouds, and precipitation including a little snow to the Cascades.

The long period of drought was broken in December when a series of storm systems raced across Oregon.

Modest as it was, the 2.35 inches of precipitation in Sisters proved to be the wettest month of 2002.

For the year, both average maximum and minimum temperatures in Sisters (61.2 degrees F. and 30.6 degrees F., respectively), were almost identical to the long-term annual averages, while precipitation was just 47.6 percent of average.

Raymond R. Hatton is the author of "Sisters Country Weather and Climate," "Oregon's Sisters Country"and other books.

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