Patchy fog likely to return tonight, mountain snow Friday

The pesky foggy pattern that has plagued the region each of the past few nights will return once again tonight. Visibility will be reduced to less than a mile in some spots, while others will be fog-free. Be alert for some of the fog to become “freezing fog.”  Freezing fog is what can generate an icy glaze on objects that are less than 32°, examples would be your windshield, your back deck, an elevated road surface.

Friday will see a quick moving line of snow showers cross the state. The snow levels will be low in the morning so we may see some slick roads along the 97 corridor. Mountain passes will be slick as snow may accumulate on the roadways. Not much snow is in the forecast, possibly around 1 – 3”, but if you are traveling west over the Cascades, it may be slick.

Friday night will see a clearing and colder scenario as the air behind the precipitation will be much cooler than what we have seen this week. Lows Saturday and Sunday will be in the upper teens to low 20s and highs will hover around 40.

Sunny and dry Saturday with some late day clouds on Sunday. A system will pass by to the north of Central Oregon Sunday night and only provide some clouds to the region.

Christmas Day will be a mix of clouds and sunshine and a very slight chance for us to see a few flakes on the mountains. Most of the region will stay dry.

A White Christmas is not expected in Central Oregon this year. For a Christmas to be classified as a “White Christmas” there must be at least one inch of snow on the ground, and or one inch of snow that has fallen.  The last Christmas with measurable snowfall over an inch was in 1988, while there was snow on the ground in 2001. More on this tomorrow.

Stay Safe

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