Rain returns today, mountain snow begins
Highs today will be in the low 50s. Lows tonight will be in the 20s and 30s. Clouds will roll in this morning before we see rain return by lunchtime.
An area of low pressure system is creeping in today, bringing our general flow from the southwest. This flow is pulling in moisture today that will fuel rain showers. Just before noon, the Central Oregon will start to see some rain. Due to our mild temperatures in the afternoon, precipitation will be limited to rain for us. The mountains, on the other hand, will start to see some snow today. Showers will be consistent through the day.
The National Weather Service has released a couple of Winter Weather Alerts. A Winter Weather Advisory is in place starting today at 2pm through 5pm Friday for western portions of Deschutes and Jefferson County, as well as Linn County., which includes the Cascades. This is due to the snowy pattern that will cause slick and dangerous driving conditions, especially through the mountains.
A Winter Storm Warning is also active for the Cascades in Lane County from this afternoon through Friday evening due to the heavy snowfall expected.
Our Cascades are anticipated to get 8-12 inches of snowfall starting today through Friday, with some areas at higher elevations getting more than that. Snow will accumulate starting at around 4500 feet.
As we shift into the overnight hours, our rain will turn to a wintry mix and even some snowfall for areas like La Pine, Sunriver, Sisters, and possibly Bend. This will be the same case in the overnight hours of Thursday to Friday. Snowfall accumulation will be limited.
Roads will be slick and slushy in the following mornings. Patchy ice is possible. You’ll want to give yourself extra time in the mornings to heat up and/or scrape your car, and to drive carefully. Be safe these next few days.
Have a good Wednesday. Tomorrow is the last day to find the pumpkin in my forecast.
Don’t forget to download the KTVZ weather app to stay safe and informed.
iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ktvz-local-alert-weather-app/id1088330817
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ktvz.android.weather&hl=en_US
