The latest update today from the Natural Resources Conservation Service puts the snow water equivalent in the Hood, Sandy, and Deschutes Basin at 40 percent of normal, which is up from 24 percent a week ago, underscoring the variability of those numbers as the winter goes on.  NRCS Oregon Snow Survey Supervisor Scott Oviatt says they’ve seen wide swings in variables during the course of winters over the last 15 to 20 years, and the peak numbers usually come in late March, determining what kind of runoff can be expected.  The snow survey’s water supply outlook report comes out later this week and will be based on January 1 numbers, which were lower than they are now.