Very strong winds, rain, and snow this evening

Highs today are in the 40s and lows tonight will drop into the 30s. We remain mostly cloudy for the day ahead of a big storm this evening that will continue to impact us through the rest of the work week. We will start seeing the impacts around 4pm tonight.

The storm off the coast is being called a “bomb cyclone.” It is called this because the storm’s pressure is dropping very quickly, which means it is rapidly intensifying. With this storm, a surge of moisture is being moved into the Pacific Northwest, also known as an “atmospheric river.” It is as it sounds, basically a river of moisture in the sky that can fuel heavy rain and snowfall.

It is important to localize these events because Central Oregon will not see torrential rains and flash flooding that other impacted areas of the PNW might see. We could see 1-3 inches of snow in Southern Deschutes County by tomorrow morning. Jefferson County will see rain due to relatively warmer temperatures but the majority of our precipitation will fall in the coming days.

The big impact today will be the gusty winds of up 60mph and sustained winds of 30-40mph. This is enough to snap tree branches or tip over a power line. Power outages are possible. Bring in or tie down loose objects and make sure your animals are safe and secure.

The Cascades could see 8-12 inches of snow. Avoid traveling through the passes tonight if at all possible due to gusty winds, heavy snowfall, and limited visibility from blowing snow. Drive carefully, pack your winter emergency car kit, and check travel conditions if you must.

There are a number of alerts and advisories out for this storm. There is a High Wind Warning for parts of Central Oregon that expires tomorrow, and a Winter Storm Warning for the Cascades which also expires tomorrow morning.

Temperatures warm up in the second half of the week so the snowy pattern we saw early this week will turn into a rainy one. Heavier rain totals will occur in the Thursday to Friday timeframe as more moisture moves into our region and the low pressure system wobbles off the coast. There is a chance for localized flooding.

We are no stranger to wind and snow storms in Central Oregon but it is always good to be weather aware and prepared. Be safe and have a great rest of your day.

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