Little snow predicted in area forecast

There's enough snow to make the mountains white, but not enough for much else -- a situation that may continue for at least another week. photo by Jim Cornelius Dreaming of a white Christmas may be about the best winter sports lovers can do right now.

It's not too white out there.

Although the weather has been frosty, it hasn't brought much snow to the mountains surrounding Sisters.

Zaaron Allen, a senior meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Pendleton, said he didn't expect a whole lot of the white stuff out of two storm systems expected to move through the Central Oregon region this week.

By press time, a rather weak system should have moved across the area, bringing some snow but mainly to the north, Allen said.

Another storm is expected this weekend, but Allen didn't hold out much hope of a big dump of snow.

"It's too early to tell the intensity of this storm (expected Saturday, December 4), but again, not a major winter storm," he said.

There may be some lower-elevation rain and higher- elevation snow on Saturday, Allen said, but probably not significant snow accumulation.

But skiers and backcountry snow trekkers should not lose hope. It's early yet -- there are three or four months of snow season to come.

"It's still early in the season," Allen said. "All it takes is a major storm or two."