Oregon's coldest months are behind us, but you'd be forgiven if you never noticed them in the first place.

Why it matters: A warm winter and lack of snow have left Oregon with the lowest snowpack in the Pacific Northwest and its second-lowest level on record.

• That could spell trouble across the state for farmers, fish and firefighters as the potential for summer water shortages looms.

Catch up quick: The winter began with promise — a weak La Niña was expected to bring colder and wetter than average conditions.

• The wetness was there in November and December as strong atmospheric rivers washed over the Pacific Northwest, but they came in riding record warmth and did little to build a base of snow at higher elevations.
• January wasn't much better, with Portland receiving a little more than half its average rainfall.
• Though February brought more precipitation, it also came with statewide temperatures nearly 5°F above average.

Overall, the four-month period from November through February tied 1934 for the warmest in Oregon on record.

Stunning stat: Oregon's snowpack is about 30% of normal, nearly tied with 2015 for the worst year on record.

• "We're kind of the epicenter of the snow drought," Oregon State climatologist Larry O'Neill told Axios, noting that, as of yesterday, only Arizona and New Mexico had lower percentages of their median snowpack.
• We aren't alone, though, with many states across the West seeing much warmer and drier conditions than usual.

Threat level: Oregon's snowpack acts as a reservoir that slowly releases water in the warmer months.

• Fish rely on it for adequate stream levels. Farmers rely on it for irrigation. We all rely on it to spin the turbines in our hydroelectric dams.
• "The snowpack is extremely important for our water supply in the spring and summer," O'Neill said. "Without it, we usually end up with severe drought."

What's next: Forecasters are predicting above-average temps — mid-60s in Portland, mid-50s up on Mount Hood — for the next several days.

The climate connection

Portland's Ross Island Bridge turns 100 this year and is the city's true workhorse compared to the Willamette's other, ornamental spans.

• It doesn't concern itself with fancy bike lanes, viewpoints or even medians — sporting just four lanes and one narrow sidewalk, its sole focus is on moving traffic swiftly east to west and vice versa.

The big picture: Opened on Dec. 21, 1926, during the city's bridge boom, the Ross Island Bridge carries more than 55,000 vehicles per day via U.S. Route 26.

• Plus: It's the only bridge connecting Portland's busy South Waterfront district — home to Oregon Health & Science University — to the Southeast side, as the Tilikum doesn't allow cars and the Sellwood is 2-plus miles down the river.

Flashback: Designed by Austrian engineer Gustav Lindenthal (who is associated with four other Portland bridges), the Ross Island Bridge was built primarily to accommodate the city's rapidly growing automobile traffic.

• It has the appearance of an arch bridge but is actually a 3,700-foot-long cantilever deck truss bridge with no suspended span and was not designed to raise for river traffic — an engineering rarity and the only one of its kind in Oregon.
• It was originally painted black but got a "phthalo blue" makeover in 1965.
• Despite its name, the bridge sits about 800 feet north of Ross Island and does not provide access to the island itself.

What's hiding inside the bridge

⚔️ Wyrd Leatherworks & Meadery, a medieval-themed tavern and gathering place for fantasy fans in Southeast Portland, is expanding in Milwaukie where it will soon inhabit a Castle of sorts, complete with a stone turret and a portcullis. (The Oregonian)

🧙 Amy Madigan, a Reed College trustee better known as Aunt Gladys from "Weapons," took home an Academy Award for her role in the horror flick. (OPB)

Vancouver Public Schools is preparing to cut up to 200 jobs as the district works to reduce its budget by $24 million before the coming school year. (KGW)

🏀 The No. 8 Ducks women's team, the sole team from Oregon to make the March Madness tournament, will take on No. 9 Virginia Tech Friday at 10:30 am in Texas. (The Oregonian)

• Portland will still host a series of men's games this week, with first-round matchups on Friday and second-round games on Saturday at the Moda Center. (KOIN)

Happy St. Patrick's Day, a holiday that has been celebrated in the U.S. by Irish immigrants since the 18th century.

• Roughly 471,300 Oregonians — or about 11% of the state's population — have Irish ancestry, well above the national average, according to the latest census data.

🍻 Grab a buddy and order a pint of Guinness at one of the city's many Irish (and Irish-ish) pubs tonight.

Go deeper: How the U.S. celebration compares to Ireland's