Outdoors

Outdoors 'Tis the season for brilliant 'fire rainbows' (Photo Gallery)

By Scott Sistek Published: May 10, 2013 at 2:47 PM PDT Last Updated: May 10, 2013 at 4:10 PM PDT

May is probably better known around here as getting ready for the upcoming Rose Festival but did you also know it's when we kick off the fire rainbow season?

Outdoors Drought Monitor: 91% of Oregon 'abnormally dry' (Photo Gallery)

By Mark Floyd, OSU News & Research Communications Published: May 10, 2013 at 2:30 PM PDT Last Updated: May 10, 2013 at 3:17 PM PDT

Through May 10, it has been the driest start to the year on record at the Eugene and Salem airport weather stations,

Outdoors Bald eagle released back into the wild (Photo Gallery) (Video)

By Lisa Nico KVAL News and KVAL.com staff Published: May 10, 2013 at 2:01 PM PDT Last Updated: May 10, 2013 at 3:24 PM PDT

An eagle took flight over Fern Ridge Reservoir on Thursday, two weeks after the bird was found fighting for its life with another of its kind.

Outdoors Trees looking a little haggard? Blame it on drought stress

By KATU.com Staff Published: May 10, 2013 at 1:21 PM PDT Last Updated: May 10, 2013 at 1:21 PM PDT

Some of Oregon's trees aren't faring so well this spring, especially the Douglas first and other conifers in the northwestern part of the state.

Outdoors Tilly, the zoo's river otter, is this year's 'Mother of the Year'

By KATU.com Staff Published: May 10, 2013 at 1:15 PM PDT Last Updated: May 10, 2013 at 1:15 PM PDT

The public has spoken and Tilly the river otter is this year's Mother of the Year at the Oregon Zoo.

Outdoors 'You don't even notice the hike back up, it feels so great going down' (Photo Gallery) (Video)

By Amanda Zitzman Published: May 10, 2013 at 10:58 AM PDT Last Updated: May 10, 2013 at 4:49 PM PDT

Snowboarding season is over, but you can still get your kicks in at the sand dunes on the Oregon Coast.

Outdoors Weather trumps sequester: 'Biggest part of our budget is snow removal' (Photo Gallery)

By LEE JUILLERAT, Klamath Falls Herald and News Published: May 9, 2013 at 2:32 PM PDT Last Updated: May 10, 2013 at 8:10 AM PDT

Unusually warm weather combined with a far below average winter snowfall means one of the expected impacts of federal sequestration will not slow the opening of roads and facilities at Crater Lake National Park.

Outdoors Early season Oregon wildfire contained at 206 acres (Photo Gallery)

By KPIC.com Staff Published: May 9, 2013 at 9:59 AM PDT Last Updated: May 9, 2013 at 10:47 AM PDT

Firefighters contained the Shively Creek Fire at 8 a.m. Thursday, capping the early season blaze at 206 acres, the Douglas Forest Protective Association said.

Outdoors Smokejumpers parachute into illegal pot garden

By The Associated Press Published: May 9, 2013 at 3:53 PM PDT Last Updated: May 9, 2013 at 3:53 PM PDT

A team of smokejumpers parachuting into a fire in the mountains of Southern Oregon landed in an illegal pot garden being prepared for growing season.

Outdoors Olympic gold medalist killed when sailboat capsizes

By SUDHIN THANAWALA and TERRY COLLINS, Associated Press Published: May 9, 2013 at 3:38 PM PDT Last Updated: May 9, 2013 at 3:41 PM PDT

An Olympic gold medalist died when a 72-foot-long Swedish sailboat capsized Thursday in San Francisco Bay while practicing for the upcoming America's Cup races, leaving the one sailor dead and another injured, authorities said.

Outdoors Where there's smoke, there's fire: Planned ag burn in north Eugene (Photo Gallery)

By KVAL News Published: May 9, 2013 at 11:03 AM PDT Last Updated: May 9, 2013 at 11:03 AM PDT

Where there's smoke, there's fire: an agricultural burn in the Santa Clara area of north Eugene is expected to continue until late Thursday afternoon, the Santa Clara Fire district said. The fire is in the vicinity of Wilkes Drive and River Loop 1.

Outdoors Lightning sparks new fires on Umpqua National Forest

By KPIC.com staff Published: May 9, 2013 at 11:13 AM PDT Last Updated: May 9, 2013 at 11:13 AM PDT

Lightning peppered the Umpqua National Forest again on Wednesday, igniting a rash of new small forest fires.

Outdoors Dalai Lama in Portland to give faith message on environment (Video)

By KATU.com Staff Published: May 8, 2013 at 3:02 PM PDT Last Updated: May 8, 2013 at 4:13 PM PDT

It’s been 12 years since the Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, has been in Portland. His schedule of public appearances will begin Thursday at the University of Portland Chiles Center and are part of The Dalai Lama Environmental Summit.

Outdoors Shively Creek Fire 75% contained (Photo Gallery)

By KPIC.com Staff Published: May 8, 2013 at 9:40 AM PDT Last Updated: May 8, 2013 at 9:42 AM PDT

The Shively Creek Fire is 75% contained, according to the DFPA. The fire was contained to 206 acres, and it is expected to be 100 % contained by Thursday morning.

Outdoors 'We can expect higher likelihood of dry summer this year' (Video)

By Lauren Lee Published: May 8, 2013 at 7:34 AM PDT Last Updated: May 8, 2013 at 7:34 AM PDT

CORVALLIS, Ore. - Western Oregon has seen the driest start of the calendar year on record, but how long will the streak last?

Philip Mote is the director of Oregon Climate Services and a State Climatologist for Oregon.