Turning Rainy Around Midday

Good morning!

A few light showers are passing through the region early on this Wednesday, but shouldn’t be around all morning. From sunrise to about midday, conditions will be mainly dry across the metro area. That being said, showers will arrive a bit earlier to the central Oregon Coast & southern Willamette Valley (late morning). Midday and beyond looks like it’ll be pretty wet across western Oregon and southwest Washington. The culprit: an area of low pressure offshore pulling in moisture from the southwest. This system will tap into a weak to moderate atmospheric river, bringing us a wet 36-48 hours stretch.

Rainy & breezy conditions will take place this afternoon, through Thursday and into Friday morning. There won’t be too many breaks in the rain, especially Thursday. Temperatures will be pretty mild throughout this time period though. Expect highs in the low to mid 50s, with overnight lows in the mid to upper 40s. Our lowest snow level will occur today. Initially as precipitation arrives, our snow level should be around 4,500 feet. It’ll climb to about 5,500 feet toward the end of the day, and should be even higher Thursday & Friday. Generally speaking, roads will be wet at pass level through most of this event. Expect more of a wintry mix at the ski resorts, with snowy conditions above 7,000 feet.

How much rain is on the way? The coast & Coast Range will see the greatest rainfall totals, especially along southern-facing slopes. Expect anywhere from 1.50-3″+, with the possibility of 3-4+ inches in the Coast Range. Our western valleys & the Oregon Cascades should receive closer to 1-2″ through Friday morning (perhaps more in the southern Washington Cascades).

Looking ahead, Friday afternoon through Saturday should be more dry than wet, but showers will pick back up on Sunday. Temperatures will cool down a bit Sunday-Tuesday, with highs dipping into the mid to upper 40s, and overnight lows trending into the upper 30s.

Have a great Wednesday!

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