Forecast: Looks like a mild winter

Much of Sisters Country woke up on December 25 to what might be characterized as a minimalist white Christmas. There was just the lightest skiff of snow on the ground, and that was it.

Temperatures have been mild and precipitation minimal in Sisters — and it’s likely to stay more or less that way through March, according to the latest forecast from the Oregon Department of Agriculture.

According to Oregon Department of Forestry lead meteorologist Pete Parsons, we should “expect a relatively mild winter with minimal or absent cold intrusions.” We’re looking at mild temperatures — likely a little above average — and near-average or a little below average precipitation through the next three months. Average precipitation for January would mean around 2.3 inches, with 1.53 in February, dropping to just over an inch in March.

El Niño conditions are expected to create a split air-flow that brings mild conditions and weakens storms as they move across Oregon and Washington. In El Niño conditions, there are usually few or no intrusions of Arctic air into the region, meaning we probably won’t see any deep, long-lasting cold snaps in Sisters.

The immediate weather forecast for Sisters Country tracks with the broader forecast, with mild winter temperatures in the 40s or high 30s for highs, and lows only in the high 20s. There is no significant precipitation in the forecast for the next 10 days or so.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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