Wintry mix of rain and snow off and on this week, very gusty winds Wednesday

Bend, Ore (KTVZ)-- There is a complex weather pattern off the coast that will impact our weather over the next several days.  There is also an atmospheric river that will impact our neighbors to the south, California, through the holiday. If you are planning a trip to the Golden State, make sure to prepare for a rainy week.  

Locally the impacts will be off and on rain with some snow mixed in from time to time. The snow is possible overnight each of the next few days but will not accumulate much more than a light dusting. The Santiam Pass may see a couple inches and the resorts should see some accumulating snow, possibly up to 5 – 6”.

The main feature this week will be Wednesday morning. There is likely to be very gusty winds, near 50 mph at times, as an area of low pressure moves from south to north along the coast. Expect the winds to coincide with a mix of rain and snow at times causing travel issues to be compounded.

There will be dangerous crosswinds across the region as winds arrive from the southeast before sunrise, the south near sunrise, the southwest early in the morning and the west around noon.  This is due to the location of the low and the counterclockwise rotation of the winds around this feature.

Currently we have a “Special Weather Statement” issued for the winds, but may be upgraded to a “Wind Advisory” or a “High Wind Warning” if conditions warrant.

Overnight into Christmas Day we may see some light snow fall across the Tri-Counties. Once again, this will not be anything more than a dusting, but we may see some snow when we get up on Christmas morning.  I am also not expecting it to last long as the afternoon high temperatures will be in the upper 40s and low 50s.

Another light mix of rain and snow is possible on Friday, with little to no accumulation. Once the precipitation ends on Friday afternoon or early evening, we should go on another run of dry and above normal conditions.  Over the weekend, expect to see highs near 50 and mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies.

Have a great holiday week.

Please, Stay safe.

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