Portlanders woke up to a wet Christmas Day, with the National Weather Service reporting rain likely in the morning before yielding to mostly sunny skies later in the day. According to the NWS forecast, an east-northeast breeze was expected to shift south-southeast in the afternoon, as temperatures climbed to a high near 53 degrees. NWS indicated a 70% chance of precipitation, with a dip in temperature to around 41 degrees overnight.
Tonight, chances of rain will linger with showers anticipated post-midnight. "A chance of rain between midnight and 4am, then showers likely after 4am," the NWS stated, expecting increasing clouds as a southeast wind blows at around 5 mph. This comes ahead of more showers forecasted for Friday, with southwest winds reaching up to 18 mph at times. Despite the gusts, only a tenth to a quarter of an inch of new precipitation is likely.
The conditions heading into the weekend suggest a slight reprieve for those tiring of the constant drizzle. "Showers, mainly before 4am," reported the NWS for Friday night, with the snow level at 1500 feet and lows around 37. Saturday holds a 30 percent chance of showers in the morning, but moves towards mostly cloudy skies with highs nearing 45 and calming west southwest winds.
For those planning their weekend, Saturday night into Sunday appears to be marked by patchy fog and mostly cloudy conditions, setting a quieter tone after the rainy intervals earlier in the week. The forecast for early next week sees temperatures steady with highs in the mid-40s and partly sunny skies, giving a slight break in the cloud cover. While the nights may dip to the mid-30s, the overall outlook seems to favor a drier pattern.
Looking ahead, a slight chance of rain returns to the forecast by midweek, with mostly cloudy skies and highs near 47 degrees, according to forecasters. Weather conditions are expected to remain typical for the region, with periodic rain and cloud cover continuing as the year comes to a close.
