Portland residents can expect a mixed bag of weather conditions on Thursday, with occasional showers punctuating the forecast. As the day marches on, temperatures are anticipated to hover in the low 50s, a notch above the usual for this time of year, according to reports from KOIN. These passing showers could bring substantive rainfall to the coast and the Willamette Valley.
Mt. Hood is set to catch more wet snow throughout Thursday, with snow levels rising to about 5,000 feet, a signal of the warmer conditions in the valley and along the coast. The Pacific Northwest is bracing itself for an atmospheric river that is forecasted to usher in widespread, persistent rain starting Friday, and the dampness is expected to hang around through Saturday.
However, a shift is on the horizon with slightly drier weather expected to move in on Sunday. This could signal the commencement of a warmer, drier pattern heading into next week, where temperatures may reach nearly 10 degrees above the average high for late January.
Meanwhile, KPTV notes that the mild weather pattern is here to stay for the next week, sans overnight freezing and with higher snow levels persisting in the Cascades. In the short term, things remain wet, with a weather system expected to deliver a decent amount of rain past midnight west of the Cascades, followed by a succession of showers. There may be occasional sunbreaks between showers, but much of Friday and Saturday looks to be cloudy and rainy.
Despite the consistent rain, there is a glimmer of respite possibly arriving later Sunday through Monday. During this brief dry spell, parts of the I-5 corridor that receive southerly winds could see temperatures climbing to 60 degrees. Importantly, there is no current concern over potential windstorms or heavy rain leading to flooding, nor any indications of lowland snow or arctic air hitting the region as we roll into the early days of February.
