It's the middle of winter and as I write this, the forecast calls for a balmy high of 50°F and we haven't seen more than a trace of rain in Portland in almost two weeks.

Why it matters: This stretch of dry, warm days in January just feels off, but it could also have severe implications for winter recreation, wildfires and irrigation later this year.

By the numbers: Through Tuesday, the National Weather Service has measured 2.13 inches of rain at its weather station in Northeast Portland this month.

• That's more than an inch less than the 3.18 inches we usually see by this time in January.
• Most of the state's river basins are well below 50% of snow water equivalent, a measure of how much water the snowpack holds.
• The Willamette Valley is the lowest in the state at just 31% as of this morning.

And all of this comes during a La Niña year, which was predicted to bring colder and wetter conditions than usual.

Catch up quick: Oregon had its warmest November and December since records began in 1895.

• Our average temperature was 7.9°F above average in December.
• Even with a series of powerful atmospheric rivers that swept through the state last month, precipitation for the state has been just about average, state climatologist Larry O'Neill told Axios.
• The biggest difference, he said, is that much of that precipitation fell as rain instead of snow, even at higher elevations.

What they're saying: "The historically warm start to winter has created a historically low snowpack," O'Neill said.

Between the lines: While it's difficult to pin any particular weather phenomenon on climate change, the warming of our atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels makes winters like this one more likely.

Threat level: Snowpack in the Cascades acts as a natural reservoir, slowly releasing water as temperatures rise in the spring and summer.

• It refills reservoirs, recharges groundwater, keeps stream flows strong and even moderates warmer temperatures at higher elevations.
• If the winter doesn't turn around quick, a diminished snowpack could lead to lower crop yields, bigger wildfires, fewer recreation opportunities and more stress on fish and their ecosystems, O'Neill said.

There's still hope

⛺️ Homelessness continues to be Portlanders' biggest concern, according to an annual poll commissioned by the Portland Metro Chamber, along with high taxes and cost of living — but federal immigration enforcement emerged as a new issue worrying residents. (OPB)

🏡 Mayor Keith Wilson unveiled an ambitious new goal of creating 20,000 new housing units over the next eight years, which would be a vast increase over the construction of the last decade. (The Oregonian)

🍎 The Sheridan Fruit Co., operating in Portland since 1916, is at risk of closing after wholesale business to restaurants never bounced back after the COVID pandemic. (KGW)

📨 Oregon Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden are warning that changes to when mail is postmarked could lead to problems with Oregon's mail-in voting system. (KOIN)

Making Tuesdays more memorable could keep the rest of the week from dragging.

The big picture: It's probably Tuesday if you don't remember what day it is, researchers found in 2015.

• Aside from Fat Tuesday and Election Day, "Tuesday has no feel," as Newman once put it on "Seinfeld." It's when a number of restaurants and museums close.
• Meanwhile, Mondays are feared most. Wednesdays are the hump. Thursdays are almost Friday. Fridays are the ones we're most thankful for. And then there's the weekend. Tuesdays get lost.

Tuesday could feel like the longest day of the week, because that's when the cognitive load of workweek tasks that resumed on Monday start to significantly ramp up, social psychologist Frank McAndrew writes

• The good news: Tuesday's lack of personality can be a good thing because you can make it what you want.

Try this: Give Tuesday its own ritual that you look forward to. Some ideas…

• Do something food-focused: Think Taco Tuesday or a designated family dinner night.
• Turn Tuesdays into move days: After all, it's the most popular day of the week to sweat, per ClassPass data.
• Make it your cerebral day: Be open to new ideas (researchers have found it's a good day for inspiration) and deep conversation, à la Mitch Albom's weekly professor chats that became "Tuesdays With Morrie."