Oregon weather turns rainy, foot of snow forecast for mountain passes
Northwest Oregon is returning to a wet and stormy pattern for the upcoming week, with more than a foot of snow possible on mountain passes.
After a stretch of mainly dry weather, two storm systems will arrive this weekend with another expected later next week, all good news for refilling reservoirs, adding snowpack and improving Oregon’s longstanding drought.
Around 1 to 1.5 inches of rain is expected Saturday through Tuesday, with another inch possible later in the week, while the Coast is likely to see 2 to 3 inches along with stormy seas and high winds this weekend.
“Anyone headed to the beach might want to stay off the rocks and even off the beaches,” National Weather Service meteorologist Clinton Rockey said.
In addition, a winter weather advisory has been issued for Oregon’s mountain passes Saturday into Sunday, with 7 to 14 inches of snow projected above 3,000 feet. Rockey said more snow could fall Sunday night into Monday.
“The snow level is going to be going up and down quite a lot, and so there could be some rain mixed in there, but we should have a pretty big shot of snow,” Rockey said. “It looks like we could see some snow on the passes later in the week as well.”
The first burst of rain is expected Saturday evening into Sunday, with another round of possibly heavier rain Monday through Tuesday.
After a quieter period Wednesday and Thursday, another system is expected next Friday into the weekend, Rockey said.
“We should stay in a pretty rainy pattern — but nothing too bad or that will bring any flooding,” he said. “Pretty normal for early spring in the Pacific Northwest.”
Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter in Oregon for 15 years and is host of the Explore Oregon Podcast. To support his work, subscribe to the Statesman Journal. Urness is the author of “Best Hikes with Kids: Oregon” and “Hiking Southern Oregon.” He can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on Twitter at @ZachsORoutdoors.
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Winter weather, beach advisory: Northwest Oregon to get wet, stormy
