Residents of Portland should be ready for a mix of rain and snow as the city's weather takes a typically gray, wintry turn. Today's skies are looking to clear up, moving from cloudy to mostly sunny, with highs nudging just over the 40-degree mark. The calm wind is expected to shift south-southwest and gain a slight edge later in the afternoon, according to the latest data from the National Weather Service (NWS).
Tonight, however, the forecast isn't quite as bright. The NWS anticipates an 80% chance of snow showers mingled with rain, the snow level plummeting from 900 feet down to 300 feet as the night progresses. With a low teetering around 33 degrees, less than a half inch of new snow is possible. The weekend won't fare much better, with rain likely, and a chance of snow showers turning to all rain after 1 pm on Saturday. No significant accumulation is expected.
Come Saturday night, the chance of showers drops to 40% before snow levels start to fall again, reaching 1000 feet post-midnight. The weather for Sunday and into Monday shows a brief respite with partly sunny skies and moderate temperatures before the potential for snow showers creeps back in on Monday afternoon. It seems that winter is ensuring its presence is felt in the city, despite the calendar edging closer to spring.
The week ahead looks to stay on the nippy side, with mostly clear skies on Monday night giving way to a low of around 23 degrees. It's shaping up to be a roller coaster of sun, widening to slight chances of rain and snow midweek. "Rain and snow likely," forecasters note of the approaching Wednesday night, indicating a snow level at around 400 feet and dipping temperatures into the mid-20s. And looks like Thursday will bring a sense of déja vu, with similar conditions and snow levels rising back up to 900 feet.
