Rain returns, heavy mountain snow possible
Wednesday will be a very wet day as another wave of moisture pushes in from the Pacific. The region will be dealing with a wave of precipitation and, depending on where you are, it may be rain or snow. The rain will be along the 97 highway and east into Crook County, the snow is likely to be over the Cascades. A mix of rain and snow is a strong possibility in Sisters and La Pine early in the day so prepare for some slick roads if you are traveling or live in those areas.
The weather pattern has been more reminiscent of winter than fall, the fall season seemed to be jumped a bit this year. The reality is that temperatures are very close to normal, (50 is the average high for Bend today) but the early snow on the mountains seemed to push us into “winter-mode” the past couple of days. I do expect to see cooler than normal temperatures over the next few days, and a rainy mix of rain and snow, but this is not far from what should be happening in mid-November.
The snowfall in the mountains will pile up to around 6" today and well over a foot by the end of the day Wednesday allowing for the resorts to get ready for early openings. Bachelor, as mentioned yesterday, will open this weekend to pass holders. Earliest in nearly 30 years.
The rain will be soaking nicely into the soil as the ground is not frozen. This is some good news for the area water tables.
This rainy and snowy pattern is not an overwhelming weather event, but it will present some travel issues across the area. Some patchy ice is possible overnight after the rainy days and the passes will be compromised by snow.
Bottom line is that we need to start thinking about winterizing our homes and cars. Winter is not here yet, but we do have a gentle reminder that it is on the way.
Stay Safe
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