East Wind Settles Down Tonight, Cloudier Weekend Ahead

Good morning! We’re kicking off our Friday with a breezy east wind. It’s a lot windier near the mouth of the Gorge. Troutdale clocked several gusts above 30 mph overnight, and Crown Point has been experiencing gusts between 45-60 mph. The wind is keeping our skies mainly clear, and most valley locations fog-free. It’s an entirely different story in the Gorge, Columbia River Basin and portions of central Oregon, where low clouds and freezing fog are expanding. Sunshine will prevail west of the Cascades today. Temperatures should reach the low to mid 40s in our western valleys, and mid 40s to low 50s along the coast.

The east wind will wind down tonight as onshore flow strengthens. As the wind dies, temperatures will plummet across the region. Overnight lows should drop into the mid 20s in our inner urban areas, and probably the low 20s and upper teens in outlying spots. The wind shift will also bring more clouds in on Saturday, leading to a gray afternoon & evening. Temperatures should only reach about 40 degrees or so. Spotty light showers will spread inland between Saturday night & Sunday. A wintry mix or flurries can’t be ruled out in the lowest elevations, but most of the daytime precipitation should be rain showers. To be frank, we probably won’t have much precipitation around on Sunday. Don’t expect any significant impacts to your lives.

Monday should be a mainly dry day, but chilly! We’ll start off close to freezing, with highs only reaching about 40 degrees. Tuesday will be a transition day as a warmer & wetter weather system collides with colder air over the region. This part of the forecast presents the most challenges. Will there be any cold air in the lowlands west of the Cascades as precipitation arrives, or will it mainly be confined to areas along & east of the Cascades? Most guidance suggests the latter, with the potential for freezing rain or snow in the Gorge + higher elevations. The threat for wintry mischief from Portland to Salem is diminishing. There’s still time for another tweak or two to the forecast. We’ll let you know if anything changes.

The rest of the week looks more wet than dry, and certainly warmer. Highs should return to the upper 40s by Thursday, with overnight lows trending into the mid to upper 30s.

Have a great Friday!

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