Wintry pattern over the weekend
A Winter Weather Advisory is in place for portions of Deschutes and Jefferson Counties overnight. There will be snow most of the day with some rain mixed in at times. The advisory is for the SW and Western portions of the counties where up to 4” of snow is possible by Saturday morning. There may be some freezing rain creating an icy glaze to about a tenth of an inch in pockets, but mainly that will be east in the Blue Mountains, but not off the table entirely for Jefferson and Deschutes Counties.
The snow will be off and on overnight as the next round of precipitation has arrived a bit early. The moisture is moving in from the south and is just cold enough to produce snow. The snow continues overnight and the amounts will vary from 2” to 3” of snow, with higher amounts south of Lava Butte, and west near Sisters.
Saturday will be a mix of rain and snow once again with the snow being more likely early in the day when the temps are colder. The snow is not going to as persistent as originally expected as the systems are moving through at a much faster pace than forecast. The snow should taper off just after sunrise and there may be some breaks in the cloud cover at times. Temperatures will rise to the low 40s after starting in the low 30s, so not much of a warm up is expected from sunrise to sunset.
A few snow showers will occur overnight into Sunday, but only for a brief period and little accumulation is anticipated. There will be a crisp feel to the area on Sunday as well with highs only reaching the upper 30s. Breezy conditions are possible as well with south winds at 5 – 8 mph and gusts near 15. Just after midnight Sunday into Monday, the final round of precipitation will cross the area.
Monday will be a rainy and snowy day again as snow begins the day then transitions to a mix when the warmer air arrives. The snow arrives after midnight so the morning commute will be a bit tricky. Expect to see snow covered roads with some ice underneath. Totals will be in the 2 – 4” range Monday adding to the 2 – 3” already on the ground by then. The switch to a mix should only happen north of Sunriver along 97 and the conditions overnight will be very slick due to possible icy roads.
Tuesday will begin with some lingering showers, then partial clearing by mid-morning. A dry period is expected the rest of the week.
Please stay safe.
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