By Gordon McCraw, Meteorologist for the Tillamook County Pioneer
Friday, January 6, 2023
The strong jet stream remains parked over the region and just like yesterday and today, continues to cause low pressure areas to develop and get pushed towards the coast then turn and move northward along the coast, bring periods of rain and breezy conditions with easterly winds as they pass west of our area.
And today is another day, with another low pressure area moving northward along the coast. This gave us periods of rain again today along with breezy winds, thanks to the pressure gradient between the low to our west and the high pressure to the east. Tonight will also be breezy, though the rain will be easing as the low continues to the north while most of the moisture remains south. Winds will be southeasterly 14-18 gusting to 25, tonight’s low temperature near 43.
The rain returns tomorrow under mostly cloudy to cloudy skies, winds southeasterly 8-12 gusting to 18, highs near 52. The rain eases late tomorrow evening but returns later tomorrow night with the next system, winds becoming easterly 14-18 gusting to 25, lows near 43.
Cloudy, rainy, and breezy again Sunday, winds southerly 10-15 gusting to 25, highs near 52, more of the same Sunday night, lows near 43.
It looks like we will not see any significant pattern change for next week with the jet stream still locked in place, forming then pushing the low pressure areas, that all appear to still remain off the coast far enough as they move northward, to limit their impact to the region. So, next week we can expect little change in the overall weather picture, cloudy to mostly cloudy skies with periods of rain, highs near 53, lows near 42, still with the occasional breezy easterly winds.
Though we are seeing this prolonged period of rain, the rain continues to be light enough, and the systems are moving fast enough, that hydrological concerns remain quite low, considering. I would expect the seas will continue to get churned up with gale force wind well offshore giving us steep and hazardous seas closer to the coast that could capsize and/or cause damage to vessels. Additionally, sneaker waves are always a threat, but more so during conditions such as these.
