Variably cloudy skies today, much cooler over the weekend with some mountain snow/rain Saturday

Bend, Ore (KTVZ) – The high desert will see a mix of clouds and sunshine today and again Friday as temperatures cool down for the weekend. The highs today will be in the low 70s followed by the middle 60s Friday and the 50s over the weekend.

There will be a ridge of high pressure to the south of the Beaver State providing us with westerly winds and some moisture off the ocean. The warmer pattern will stay south while a pocket of cooler air arrives from the north. They both argue over the territory tomorrow before the cooler pattern takes over.

Friday will be the transition day as the skies fill with clouds as the trough of low pressure pushes south. Winds pick up late in the day ahead of the changing pattern.  Gusty winds will be in the 20 – 25 mph range in the afternoon.

There will be some high mountain snow Saturday and a bit of a wintry mix above 5000 feet. The high desert is expected to stay dry under mostly cloudy skies. A few light rain showers and maybe a flake or two will mingle in across Sisters and La Pine, but not much more than a mix at best.

Highs Saturday will be in the upper 40s to low 50s Saturday with 40s being confined to southern and western Deschutes County.

Sunday begins a stretch of dry weather as a ridge of high pressure off the coast nudges closer to the Pacific Northwest.

Highs on Sunday will be in the upper 50s under partly cloudy skies and this will be the start of a warming trend that will continue through next week.

Highs hit the middle to upper 60s on Monday under variably cloudy skies followed by low to middle 70s the rest of the week. Winds pick up again by mid-week, but no rain or mountain snow is in the forecast next week.

Please, Stay safe.

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