PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Some snowflakes are appearing again in the Portland area’s extended forecast, but will it be enough for a white Christmas?
As of right now, KOIN Meteorologist Kelley Bayern says no.
She said the problem with weather apps on iPhones and other cellphones is that they only use a single emoji to describe a day’s weather.
A day could include sunshine, rain and snow, but snow is the only icon that appears on the app.
Still, that doesn’t mean there won’t be any snow next week. There is a real chance Portland will see some flurries Sunday and Monday, hence the snowflake emoji.
“What isn’t conveyed in that single snowflake emoji is the amount or intensity of snowfall. It could be brief or only come during the early morning hours while the rest of the day is dry. A lot of people may see that emoji and automatically think ‘snowstorm,’” but a snowstorm isn’t likely, Bayern said.
She reminds everyone to be hesitant to trust any forecast that is 7 to 10 days out. There isn’t any certainty at that point.
“Models are just giving hints at what we could see and they can certainly change and adjust. Forecasts 3-5 days out tend to bring out the most likely outcomes. Forecasts 1-3 days out will bring in the most detail, helping to define what will come, where it’ll hit, and then who will be most impacted by that weather event,” she said.
Before the chance of snow, Bayern predicts the rest of the week will remain dry, thanks to a high pressure ridge. The Portland area can expect to see sunny days and patchy, morning fog through Friday.
The colder air will move in on Sunday and Monday and could bring in precipitation.
The average high temperature in Portland this time of year is 47 degrees. Even though the next few days will be sunny, Bayern expects the high temperature to not climb above 43 degrees this week. Next week will bring highs in the 30s.