MEDFORD, Ore. (Dec 13, 2025)— Mountains across Southern Oregon and far Northern California remain unusually bare heading deeper into December, with federal monitoring data and park observations showing little to no measurable snow in areas that typically serve as the region’s winter water bank.
National Weather Service and NOAA snow-analysis products indicate that snow depths across the southern Cascades, Siskiyou Mountains and portions of Northern California are well below normal for this point in the season. Large sections of the region are registering zero or trace snow depth, according to NOAA’s National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center analyses and National Weather Service summaries.
At Crater Lake National Park, one of the snowiest locations in the continental United States on average, observations at park headquarters showed 0 inches of snow on the ground in mid-December. That lack of early-season accumulation is notable both locally and historically.
A rare start at Crater Lake
The absence of snow at Crater Lake this late in the year places 2025 as the third-latest start to the season with a recorded snow depth of 0 inches at park headquarters, based on historical station records. The latest such occurrence on record was Dec. 26, 1976, when the park still had no measurable snow on the ground.
Under typical conditions, Crater Lake records measurable snow well before December, with average winter snow depths eventually reaching several feet. Long-term climate records consistently rank the park among the highest seasonal snowfall totals in the lower 48 states.
Snowpack lags across the region
The broader picture mirrors conditions at Crater Lake. Natural Resources Conservation Service SNOTEL stations — automated sites that measure snow depth and snow water equivalent — show many locations in Southern Oregon reporting zero snow water equivalent so far this water year.
Snow water equivalent is a key metric used by water managers to estimate how much runoff will be available during spring and summer. NRCS weekly water and climate summaries indicate that much of the precipitation since October has fallen during warmer periods, limiting snow accumulation and allowing rain to fall at elevations that would normally receive snow.
NOAA drought and climate monitoring products characterize the situation as an emerging snow drought, in which precipitation occurs without producing adequate snowpack.
Implications for rivers and water supply
Mountain snowpack functions as the region’s primary natural reservoir, releasing water gradually into rivers and reservoirs through late spring and summer. Persistently low snowpack could affect flows in major systems including the Rogue, Klamath and Trinity river basins, which support agriculture, hydropower generation, municipal water supplies and fish habitat.
Early-season deficits do not guarantee water shortages, but the opportunity for recovery narrows as winter progresses and the climatological peak snow-accumulation period approaches.
Recreation impacts already visible
The lack of snow has already affected winter recreation. Ski areas across Southern Oregon and Northern California have delayed openings or limited operations due to insufficient base depth. Snowmobiling and backcountry recreation have also been restricted in areas where access typically begins by early December.
While fewer winter travel restrictions have been needed so far, officials caution that conditions could change rapidly if colder storms arrive.
What happens next
National Weather Service forecasts show periodic chances for precipitation across the region, but snow levels are expected to fluctuate, meaning some storms may continue to fall as rain at mid-elevations. Sustained cold air combined with multiple Pacific storm systems would be required to bring snowpack closer to seasonal averages.
Although winter is still early, the absence of snow at historically snowy locations such as Crater Lake highlights how unusual the start of the 2025–26 winter season has been.
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