LISTEN HERE:
By Gordon McCraw, Meteorologist for the Tillamook County Pioneer
A low pressure area, and an associated trough of low pressure, extends from Northern California northeastward across Oregon into Washington, and is bringing light rain into our area into this afternoon. The trough and low will be slow to move eastward so tonight we still have a chance of rain with westerly winds 4-8, the low near 42.
The trough is still influencing our weather tomorrow so we see a chance of rain in the morning, turning to a chance of showers under partly sunny skies by the afternoon. As the trough axis drifts to our east putting us under a northwesterly flow, the winds becoming northwesterly 4-8 in the afternoon, the high near 51. Look for mostly cloudy skies tomorrow night, the shower chance ease some, the winds becoming southwesterly 4-8 and the snow level drops to around 2500’ with the overnight low temperatures down near 39.
Wednesday, the trough continues to drift eastward and pull down some cooler temperatures on the west side of the trough, so we see more rain Wednesday with mostly cloudy skies, the winds southwesterly in the morning becoming northwesterly in the afternoon 4-8, high temperatures around 48, the snow level that started out around 2000’ that morning climbs to near 2500’ in the afternoon. You still have a chance of rain Wednesday night, the snow level hangs around 2500’, the low down near 38.
So, Thursday on, the models start getting mixed, but with a large trough of low pressure to the east and a strong ridge of high pressure to the west, which reinforces the northerly flow over our area, it appears we continue with partly sunny to mostly cloudy days and mostly cloud nights with a chance of rain both Thursday and Friday as disturbances ride down into the area in the flow, high temperatures around 50, nighttime lows down around 39. It does look like there is a chance of some snow as low as the tops of the summits, and some of the models even suggest the temperatures will be even lower by Thursday that would push the snow levels even lower, possibly bringing low level accumulating snow again over in the valley and the eastern slopes of the passes. Before folks get too excited though, the odds of this are pretty low as certain conditions would have to be met for this to happen.
As for the weekend, the ridge of high pressure to the west will try to build into the area which would ease the rain threat, but for now, with the uncertainty, I will go with partly sunny to mostly cloudy skies, still a chance of some light rain, highs near 52, and the lows near 40.
