🌧️ 'Uncharted territory' this winter

What You May Expect From a Super El Niño Winter

Local officials are predicting a phenomenon called a "super El Niño" this winter — the fourth in our region since the 1980s. Oregon’s state climatologist Larry O’Neill says we're in "uncharted territory" because of the combination of an ongoing global climate crisis and the super El Niño prediction. But what does that actually mean for us? Here are the latest predictions — and what you should know heading into winter this year. [OPB]

• Ocean warming: Warmer-than-usual waters in the Pacific Ocean along the equator cause an El Niño winter — which usually means drier weather in the Pacific Northwest. However, increasing ocean warming may have the opposite effect — meaning a lot of rain in our region. [OPB]
• Better snowpack: Typically, El Niño winters lead to solid snowpacks, but that probably won't be the case in Oregon due to climate change. Still, experts believe snowpacks will be better than last winter (which should not be hard to beat, because it was the worst on record). [Oregonian]
• Landslide risk: There is a 90% chance of a "very strong [weather] event” this year, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Officials warn of potential flooding and landslides — especially west of the Cascades — because recent fires have burned vegetation that keeps soils from sliding during heavy rains. [OPB / National Weather Service]
• Related: Recent cool, rainy weather has helped suppress ongoing wildfires across the state, but experts warn fire season is not over. [OPB]

Local Expert Says 'Have Faith' in Upcoming Election

The Trump administration has targeted vote-by-mail for months, which is currently in a legal battle with Oregon and 23 other states over the issue. Only two months until the midterm elections, the case is still not settled, but constitutional law expert Norman Williams of Willamette University College of Law has hope: He says now is not the time to be "too freaked out" and to have faith that the election process will work as it has in the past. [Willamette Week]

Ballot Initiative to Hire Portland Police Is Officially Over

U.S. District Judge Michael Simon rejected the Safer Portland campaign backer's efforts to use Portland Clean Energy Fund dollars to hire more police officers this week. Supporters of the ballot initiative issued a lawsuit, asking for a recount after local election officials deemed their collected signatures to be invalid last month. U.S. District Judge Simon said both city and county election officials followed the law in throwing out signatures that were riddled with errors. [Willamette Week]

Do Portlanders Think Our City Government Works?

Today on the podcast, we're talking about why shockingly few Portlanders think city government is effective — plus, why some tenants of Home Forward, the city’s housing authority, could face rent hikes of more than ten percent. Plus, the owner of a roadside zoo in Bandon, Ore., is being sentenced to seven years in prison for animal neglect and other charges. [City Cast Portland 🎧]