Winter in Oregon is usually defined by momentum. Snow builds steadily through December and January, storms reinforce one another, and by February the mountains are locked into a rhythm that carries them through spring. This year, that rhythm never materialized. As February begins, Oregon’s snowpack sits at historically low levels, placing this winter among the weakest starts in decades. On Mount Hood, snow water equivalent readings as of Feb. 1 ranked as the lowest seen in years, with some...