Periods of rain. Rain may be heavy late. Low 41F. Winds SE at less than 5 mph, becoming W and increasing to 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected..
Periods of rain. Rain may be heavy late. Low 41F. Winds SE at less than 5 mph, becoming W and increasing to 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected.
Updated: December 16, 2025 @ 7:59 pm
Snowfall in November 2024 along the Pacific Crest Trail in Oregon gave skiers hope for the coming season.
Laurel Brown photoTHE GORGE — During the 2023-2024 winter season, discussion of El Niño was constant after snow-lovers bid farewell to three seasons of La Niñas in a row. Looking at the current season, a transition back to La Niña has been evident.
These two cycles — El Niño and La Niña — impact people on a global scale and result in various conditions from region to region.
El Niño vs. La Niña
According to the National Ocean Service, El Niño brings warmer temperatures to the eastern Pacific Ocean as a phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle. Opposite El Niño is the cool phase of the ENSO cycle, or La Niña, which brings cooler temperatures to the sea surface.
La Niña generally means the South will experience warmer-than-average winter conditions while the North (including the Gorge) should expect cooler-than-average temperatures.
“The strength of an anticipated La Niña ENSO phase has a major influence on our chances for an above-average snow season in our forecast zones. A moderate La Niña or stronger gives us very high chances of normal to above normal peak snowpacks,” the Northwest Avalanche Center (NWAC; nwac.us) said.
Comparing this season and last
As for the 2024-2025 season, a La Niña Watch was in place for September-November and forecast to last anywhere from January until March this year, but conditions for La Niña didn’t emerge until December. A ripe environment, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA, www.noaa.gov), for La Niña includes:
• Stronger-than-average trade winds
• Extensive clouds and rain over Indonesia
• Drier conditions over the central Pacific Ocean
• Favorable surface pressure difference between western and eastern Pacific Ocean
As of Jan. 8, radio network AgNet West reported the Gorge has generally experienced above-average snowpack levels this winter, about 130-149% above the norm (agnetwest.com). Likely to be a weak La Niña, NOAA posted an ENSO blog report that estimated a 59% chance of the cycle persisting anywhere from February to April, and a 60% chance of neutral conditions in the months following.
Compared to the previous winter season, which saw El Niño cycles, reports from Wylark Mountaineering shared that Washington had an average snowpack of 60% by February 2024 but later experienced “good coverage … well into August” (wylark.com) that offered impressive skiing conditions. To the south of the Columbia River, Oregon’s snowpack and skiing conditions were “solid” and “consistently above average,” despite El Niño in 2023-2024.
No matter how long La Niña lasts, rain and snow continue to fall around the Gifford Pinchot and Mt. Hood national forests. Be sure to check the weather conditions before your next adventure and plan accordingly.
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