Dry Spell

This winter's sunshine comes at a cost

By Michele Francisco, OWP Editor

There’s no denying Oregon has experienced an unusually dry, sunny winter. As someone who relies on vitamin D to ward off Seasonal Affective Disorder, I'm grateful for the sunshine. But the lack of rain and snow will prove problematic as the year continues.

At the recent Oregon Wine Symposium, Greg Jones– Oregon's wine climatologist and CEO of Abacela– presented his annual climate report. His findings were ominous. He explained how even “average precipitation (snow and rain) through spring will fail to make up the historic deficit we are experiencing this winter.”
Skiers know how little snow we've gotten– resorts across the state struggled to operate this season. The lack of snowpack is called a “snow drought.” As a former Californian, I know droughts by any name are dire.

Without snow accumulation, the consequences compound: rivers run lower, water tables shrink, farming becomes harder. Dry land means wildfire risk. And no one wants more fires.

My advice? Start conserving water today. Action now lowers risk later.

And if we ignore the snow drought? Less water means less hydropower. Wildfire threats reduce tourism. Smoke affects both air quality and wine grapes. Those of us here during the 2020 Labor Day fires remember the devastation: lives and homes lost, nearly an entire wine vintage scrapped.

We've adapted to a changing climate. But this time, let's not wait for the alarm to sound. Conservation starts now– with every one of us.

Michele Francisco spent her childhood reading and writing, eventually graduating from UCLA with an English degree. She attended graphic design school and began a career in design and marketing. After moving to Oregon in 2010, Michele studied wine at Chemeketa Community College and began Winerabble, a Northwest-focused wine blog. She has been a cheerleader for Oregon wine since her arrival.