The difference between “rain” and “showers” is the just how much precipitation falls from the sky and for how long. Showers imply the weather will change a lot during the day with on-and-off periods, whereas “rain” (such as we’ve been having) brings continuous wet weather for hours at a time. Portland is transitioning today from a long string of “rain” days and into showery weather.
The National Weather Service says Thursday’s showers may come with thunderstorms during the morning hours in areas near the coast. Portland will have breezy winds at times with gusts of up to 25 mph possible. The high will be near 48 degrees.
Snow levels are holding between 3,500-4,000 feet this morning. Although precipitation amounts won’t be heavy, there should be enough moisture moving through the Cascades on Thursday to build back a decent amount of snowfall. A winter weather advisory has been posted in the Cascades warning of 10-20 inches of snow above 3,500 feet from Thursday morning to Friday morning. Travelers along the pass roads should expect winter driving conditions.
Portland actually gets a decent break in all the wet stuff on Friday. There is a small chance of showers and most of those should fall in the morning. We may even see some sun breaks under partly cloudy skies. The high temps will reach near 47 degrees.
Saturday will start out dry, but another wet system approaching the region should move in around lunchtime. This rain will primarily affect the Portland/Vancouver area and points north. The mid and southern Willamette Valley may not see any at all. It won’t be the heavy rain seen last weekend but may be enough to add to the rise in some area rivers. Portland’s high will be just 46 degrees.
Mountain travelers will see continued accumulating snow through the day Saturday before snow levels rise above 6,000 feet overnight.
Portland will have a cloudy day Sunday with more rain, but warmer temps. The high should reach near 53 degrees.