The relationship we will have with the weather the next week or so will be, well, complicated!
Colder air, the coldest so far this season, will hover over the great Northwest, and a low will park itself off the coast the next several days and usher in bands of moisture. At the same time, an arctic air mass slowly develops and slips southward through British Columbia.
So two ingredients come into play here for lowland snow. However, things have to be just right for snow at city levels.
We do know the mountains will get a couple feet of snow, and even the Coast Range and lower foothills around Clark County will get spume as well. The rain changed over to snow at Government Camp late Wednesday afternoon.
Extended weather forecast models indicate the possibility of even colder air early next week, but whether there will be any moisture is “still up in the air.”
All I can tell you is to prepare for winterlike conditions and prepare outdoor plants and water connections for freezing conditions in a few days.
Even though computer models do not show a general snow event for us next week, with cold air flowing out over the water off Vancouver Island and winds from the east, a surface low can develop quickly. So best to stay tuned to local media for the latest forecasts. Especially if you plan to travel for the Thanksgiving holiday; it could be nice and dry or it could be nice and white.
Most likely, Wednesday will be OK, but then again …
Meanwhile, there was very heavy rain around 5 p.m. Wednesday with the passage of the cold front and a dramatic shift in winds from south to west-northwest.
Just the beginning; no more 50-degree-plus weather now through turkey day that I can see. Bundle up.
Pat Timm is a local weather specialist. His column appears Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Reach him at http://weathersystems.com.
