Dry and mild over the weekend, air quality issues remain

The region is under the influence of an area of high pressure that has been in place nearly a week. Some byproducts of the high are above normal temperatures and sinking air. The sinking air has been one of the main reasons for the stagnant air conditions that will persist into the weekend.

The air that is sinking under the dome of high pressure does a few things, but one of them is warms the air as the molecules of air compress near the surface, and it also keeps the winds relatively calm and effectively traps the pollution (smoke in our case).  Until the high moves out, these conditions will remain… above normal temps and poor air quality.

The forecast is calling for this scenario to linger through the weekend so expect to see warmer than normal temps along with some moderate to poor air quality.  Pile burns and chimney smoke are contributing to the smoky pattern.

We are watching an area of low pressure off the coast that will arrive in Central Oregon Monday. This feature will be slow to move and will meander off the coast this weekend. By the time this low move inland it will not have much left in the way of moisture. There will be some light rain Monday and Tuesday, but do not expect much in the way of a cleansing rain.  Winds will pick up near the low, so we should see some scouring of the smoke.

The snow levels will be high, probably near 5000 feet or more, so this is not a good sign for the resorts.

Following the light rain and gusty winds on Tuesday, the rest of the week is expected to be dry and mild once again.

Long range models do have some precipitation arriving on Christmas Day.  May be a mix of rain and snow, but way too early to etch that forecast in stone.

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