Wet and windy day ahead for Oregon and Washington

Good morning! It’s a wet and windy start to our Tuesday across northwest Oregon and southwest Washington. A strong low pressure system is approaching the Washington Coast, bringing pretty intense wind to our coastline. A High Wind Warning remains in effect for the coast & Coast Range through 7:00 P.M. Gusts will range between 55-70+ mph, but isolated gusts of 80 mph can’t be ruled out in the windiest spots. We’ll also have rather strong wind in our western valleys today, especially this morning and early afternoon. A Wind Advisory is in effect through 7:00 P.M. Gusts will range between 35-50 mph. I’d expect some downed trees and spotty power outages. Today is a good day to keep your devices charged up.

In addition to the wind, this low pressure system will usher in quite a bit of rain. Portions of the coast, mountains & metro area have already seen multi-inch rainfall totals since Monday morning, so our ground is very saturated. Rivers and streams are running high, and nuisance flooding has been occurring and area roads. Be prepared for more standing water out there. Our western valleys and coastal communities should pick up an additional 0.75-1.50″ of rain. Our local mountains could see another 2-3″ of rain. Snow levels are running pretty high this morning. As I write this discussion around 3:00 A.M., the snow level is around 7,000 feet. We’ll be cooling down throughout the day as a cold front swings through. This means the snow level will lower this afternoon and evening. By the end of the day, snow levels will drop to about 3,500 feet. Expect accumulating snow at/above the Cascade Passes. Considering how much precipitation is coming in, Government Camp could pick up around a foot of fresh snow between the afternoon and tonight. Totals will vary depending on elevation. Near pass level, expect about 8-14″. Above the passes, we could pick up closer to 12-18″.

Precipitation will turn more showery tonight, with scattered showers lingering into Wednesday. Another wet system is expected to move in on Thursday. Soaking rain should carry into Friday morning, with a drier afternoon and evening on tap. Highs will bounce back and forth between the 40s and low 50s this week.

Conditions should dry out again this weekend, although a few showers can’t be ruled out Saturday P.M. Sunday still looks like a mainly dry day. Cooler air is expected this weekend, with highs in the mid to upper 40s. Snow levels will be closer to 3,000 feet.

Stay safe out there on your commute, and have a great Tuesday!

Copyright 2022 KPTV-KPDX. All rights reserved.