It’s been a low-snow year for slopes across Oregon, including Mt. Ashland.

A record-shattering heat wave is rapidly melting California’s snowpack. The early melt means less water when the state needs it most.

Weather whiplash is in the forecast for much of Oregon, with warm temperatures expected to arrive just days after heavy rain brought flood alerts across a broad stretch of the state.

If conditions don’t change, it could spell a challenging year ahead for cities, aquatic wildlife, outdoor recreation, farming, hydropower facilities, and, possibly, a longer-lasting wildfire season.

Prolonged dry, warm conditions this winter have led to the worst snowpack levels the state has seen since 1981, according to Oregon’s state climatologist Larry O’Neill.

Much of Oregon is facing a mix of winter weather impacts, with mountain snow building in the south, strong winds easing in parts of Eastern Oregon, and minor coastal flooding expected during high tides.

Northern California can expect a stormy Christmas as an atmospheric river moves through the region.

JPR meteorologist Milt Radford offers insight into the holiday travel weather and a warning about King tides.

The region is experiencing unusually warm and dry conditions, scientists find, and snowpack is at record lows for this time of year

Days of torrential rain in Washington state caused historic floods that stranded families on rooftops, washed over bridges and ripped at least two homes from their foundations, and experts warned that that flooding to come could be catastrophic

It’s almost mid-December and Oregon’s Timberline, Mt. Bachelor and Mt. Ashland ski areas still don’t have enough snow to open up their lifts.

Another heat wave is forecast to hit the region Friday afternoon and could last through Monday evening.