Retreating clouds reveal the summit of Elkhorn Peak, the second-highest point in the Elkhorn Mountains, on Sunday.

Recent storms that brought rain to Baker City dumped snow in the mountains in Northeast Oregon at elevations above about 5,000 feet. In many places, the snowpack is now near average and in some places above average.

Snow in the region’s mountains is the largest reservoir of water for irrigation and recreation. This winter’s snowpack is particularly important because a drought in 2020 depleted reservoirs.

As of Monday, Jan. 4, the water content in the snowpack at more than a dozen measuring sites in the Grande Ronde, Powder, Burnt and Imnaha river basins was 93% of average.