PORTLAND, Ore, (KOIN) — After a wet and windy Friday night along the coast and in the valley, models are still showing increasing odds for valley snow.
Scattered showers will continue through the weekend while an active and colder weather pattern is on it’s way. A Winter Storm Warning is in effect for the Oregon and Washington Cascades along with the Blue Mountains in eastern Oregon. Mt. Hood is expecting a total of at least 2 feet over the weekend.
Sunday and Monday will be the days to watch as the colder air begins to filter through the Columbia River Gorge and snow levels are likely to lower to near the valley floor. More cold air is predicted to arrive by Tuesday — and if the timing of the cold air and addition precipitation is just right, this could be the set up for snow in Portland.
Models are coming into agreement that a wet system from the Pacific will overrun cold air in place on or about Wednesday. This has the potential to be a classic Portland snow event, with snow on the valley floor. However, plenty of model updates are yet to come, and those could make a HUGE difference between snow and just cold rain in Portland.
The cold air in place on Wednesday will likely stick around Thursday, with additional moisture available. The exact timing, as well as exact snowfall amounts in the valley, will not be clear for several more days.
It is also worth noting that future model runs may change the ultimate path of the mid-week system similar to the event that happened last February, where early model runs suggested a significant snowfall set up for Portland, yet within 24 hours of the event, models shifted the area of the heaviest snowfall to south of Eugene.
Bottom line for the valley: all major weather models have come into agreement in the last day that colder air will move into the Pacific Northwest Sunday night and Monday, meaning snowfall levels will begin to drop by early Monday morning to just above the Willamette Valley floor.
Out along the Oregon Coast, both a High Surf Warning and a Coastal Flood Warning has been issued by the National Weather Service in Portland. Waves have the potential to be destructive, crashing over beaches and other coastal structures unexpectedly.
The Pacific County Sheriff’s Office advises residents to be cautious of sneaker waves and severe beach erosion that could potentially destroy coastal homes and buildings.
“This is particularly critical information in light of the calm tides this weekend,” said the sheriff’s office.
The High Surf Warning is in effect from 1 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, while the Coastal Flood Warning is in effect from 4:45 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Stay with the KOIN 6 Weather Team for the latest weather updates online and on air.
NEW KOIN 6 Weather Podcast:
Much like our original Your Weather podcast, Meteorologists Kelley Bayern and Joseph Dames will walk you through what the forecast means for you. Unlike the original Your Weather podcast, they focus on what the models, long-range forecasts and historical data mean for all of us.
This week, they take a look at a drop in temperatures and some wet weather headed our way. Does that mean snow for the Portland-metro area? Or, will it all stay as rain?
Your Two-Week Weather podcasts will drop every other Wednesday. Our original Your Weather podcasts will continue as before, dropping on the opposite weeks.
Remember to download the free PDX Weather app for the latest up-to-date information. Worried about driving in the snow? Joseph Dames explains the best way to put on snow chains, or listen below to our interview with Oregon Department of Transportation spokesperson Don Hamilton about the agency’s response to snow events.