LOCAL ALERT WEATHER DAY: Mountain snow and wintry mix will impact Central Oregon

Bend, Ore (KTVZ) - Local Alert Weather Days are in place for Wednesday and Thursday as travel will be impacted across the high desert by the wintry mix. In addition to the high desert, the mountain passes will be compromised by the snow and rain mixing. Resorts will be happy to get some new snow as this season has been a low snow producer.

A Winter Storm Warning goes into effect from 5 am Wednesday through Thursday at 5 pm for the east face of the Cascades as well as the crest.

Two systems are expected to push through the Pacific Northwest this week with the first already in place. The light rain and some wet snow will fall again today due to a push of moisture from the southwest. Mist and rain will define the day at lower elevations as the mountains see the snow. This is the preamble to the more potent line of showers and snow that will cross the area Wednesday and Thursday.

Wednesday will be a bit more widespread rain and mountains snow as the second in this series crosses the region. The ground is not frozen so there should be very little accumulation across the high desert.

The snow will be more likely overnight Wednesday into Thursday at lower elevations, so I am not ruling out some slushy roads to kick off our Thursday.  Expect to see a few inches of snow on the grassy areas as the roads maintain the “slush” through Thursday afternoon. Winds will also pick up ahead of the cold front on Wednesday.

This will not only be a mainly be a mountain event, as is usually the case this time of year, but the high desert will get cold enough for overnight accumulations, albeit light and wet.

The mountains may see as much as 4 – 10” by the time all is said and done Thursday afternoon. High temperatures on Thursday will be in the upper 40s as overnight lows hover near freezing.

In addition to the wet weather, we may hear the rumble of thunder from time to time on Wednesday. The Storm Prediction Center has placed all of Oregon under the “General Risk” of thunderstorms, mainly in the afternoon.  These will not be severe storms, with robust gusts and hail, but any lightning is dangerous lightning.

Following the early Spring snow event, we will quickly return to our dry and mild pattern. Highs on Friday approach 60 and over the weekend we will return to the 70s.

Please, Stay safe.

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