Drier Morning, Wetter Afternoon & Evening

Good morning! It’s a cool & dry start to our day across northwest Oregon and southwest Washington. We could have a few isolated showers pass through this morning, but the first half of the day should be mainly dry. Wind is light early on this Friday, but that will change as another low pressure system develops offshore. The metro area and western Gorge will experience another gusty east wind today, but it shouldn’t be nearly as strong as our previous wind event. In the metro, expect sustained winds between 10-20 mph, with gusts up to 35 mph. This should be a localized east wind, generally affecting the central and east metro. Highs will get close to 50 degrees. Areas away from the Gorge will have a better chance of exceeding 50 degrees today (under the influence of a mild south wind). Rain spreads back inland this afternoon and evening, so expect a wet P.M. commute.

Our wettest day of the next 5-7 days should be tomorrow. Flooding is not really a concern, but nuisance ponding and standing water will likely occur on area roads. We’ll transition back to on & off showers between Saturday evening & Sunday. Highs this weekend should range between the upper 40s and low 50s. Rain/showers will come & go next week. The jet stream continues to take aim at California and southern Oregon, keeping those areas under a very active weather pattern. We’ll remain along the northern edge of this active pattern, so periods of rain and high elevation snow can be expected almost every day (some days drier than others).

You’ve probably noticed how mild the next week is going to be. Highs will bounce back and forth between the 40s and 50s, with overnight lows staying well above freezing. There is no threat for lowland snow or ice west of the Cascades through the next 10 days or so. How will the mild temperatures impact the Cascade snowpack? At this point, I don’t expect any significant melting. As far as today goes, we will start with a snow level around 3,500 feet, but it should rise to about 5,000 feet toward the end of the day. Expect a rain/snow mix at pass level, and up to an inch of new snow up high. With a wetter end to the day, we should see about 2-4 inches of new snow above the passes tonight. Generally speaking, the snow level will range between about 4,000-6,000 feet over the next week. Snow will continue to pile up at the ski resorts, but won’t be all snow everyday at pass level.

Have a great Friday!

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