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First Warning Weather Day: Soggy Friday commute

First Warning Weather Day: Soggy Friday commute

A cold front moved through the region today, bringing persistent rain and cold temperatures. Just three weeks ago we had an afternoon high of 82°, but today we struggled to get above 50°! Now a cool and unstable air mass is moving inland behind the front and will remain with us through tomorrow and Friday. We will see spells of showers, then sunshine, then showers again, etc…

The air is so unstable that any shower until tomorrow afternoon may contain a shower and/or lightning. Many of us won’t see thunder, but keep in mind that it is a possibility. The showers will move so quickly that the rain showers won’t last long enough to cause flooding unless leaves get stuck in a drain.

Total rainfall is likely to be more than an inch over the next two days, with up to 2 inches in some areas in the western valleys. The wet season has arrived and the ground will be soaked by the time we end the work week on Friday evening.

Portland Forecast
Portland Forecast(kptv)

A few more showers will follow on Saturday, and again on Monday. The only good chance for a dry day is Sunday or more likely the middle of next week.

CASCADE SNOW: Snow levels in the Cascades will fluctuate between pass elevation and 5,000′ over the next two days. All these showers will cause snow to accumulate there. Not a major storm, but by late Friday there could be 12-18″ on the ground at Timberline and higher parts of the Meadows Ski Area, with 5-10″ possible down near Government Camp. There is a winter weather advisory in effect for the Mount Hood area and a winter storm warning from Santiam Pass southward.

FIRST ALERT WEATHER DAY: We’re going to call Travel time on Friday morning a First Alert Weather Day. Especially for the south metro to the Willamette Valley. The rest of the day there will only be scattered showers and normal winds.

There are enough weather forecast models showing strong southerly winds (for power outages) and heavy rain in some spots (possibly for some road flooding) that it’s clear that some people will see an impact on their morning routine. The strong gusts are likely to only reach the southern half of the metro area (Newberg, Wilsonville, Canby and south) down into the valley. Strong winds are unlikely for most of us in the urban area, but we’ll see what future models show.

Not a big or significant storm, but enough action to warrant a minor FAWD.