Recent Northwest storm parade to continue through Wednesday, but a break may be in sight
By
Ryan Adamson, AccuWeather meteorologist
Updated Nov 25, 2020 9:13 AM EDT
Following a brief lull in the rain and snow in the Northwest on Monday night, forecasters say that respite is not going to last very long.
The Pacific Northwest has been the recipient of plenty of rain and snow through much of November, which is typical for this time of year as the wet season is normally in full swing.
For example, while Seattle typically averages 3.48 inches of rain in October, that number skyrockets to 6.57 inches in November. Similarly in Portland, the city has an October average of 3.00 inches of rain and 5.63 inches in November. So far this month, Seattle has received 5.10 inches and Portland has measured 4.80 inches of rain. In the mountains, the snowpack usually grows substantially in November, and this year has been no exception.
Precipitation is much needed in the region, with long-term drought ongoing. However, the recent onslaught of storms has helped to chip away at the precipitation deficits, especially in coastal Washington.
The next in the series of storms began to affect the Interstate-5 corridor in Washington and Oregon late Tuesday as a cold front came ashore. By Tuesday evening, snow was falling in the Washington Cascades as the precipitation moved into the colder air in the higher elevations. Initially, snow fell generally above pass level, beginning between about 4,000 and 4,500 feet.
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Behind the aforementioned cold front, snow levels dropped down to 2,500 and 3,000 feet Tuesday night and will remain around that level on Wednesday. Anyone traveling through the passes in the Washington and Oregon Cascades will want to make sure to check whether or not chains may be needed on tires.
This system will not only have precipitation, but also wind. The strongest winds will be right along the coast. Winds could gust as high as 40-45 mph.
Steady precipitation will become more showery on Wednesday as snow pushes into northern and western Idaho, western Montana and northwestern Wyoming. A disturbance in the atmosphere may cause precipitation to remain a little bit steadier in coastal Oregon, compared to other locations in the region.
Other than some mountain flurries in the morning, Thanksgiving is expected to be fairly quiet as high pressure temporarily builds into the Pacific Northwest.
Those planning to celebrate Thanksgiving outside this year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic can expect temperatures in the 30s F in the mountains and 40s in the lower elevations. This is near to slightly below normal for late November.
The next storm will be taking aim at the West Coast by Black Friday. However, it appears that this system is headed toward British Columbia. Therefore, many locations in the Pacific Northwest are likely to experience two consecutive dry days to end the week.
Heading into the holiday weekend, high pressure is expected to strengthen and build northward. Precipitation may fall in northern and western Washington on Saturday, but the high pressure should prevent precipitation from moving any farther south. Sunday also looks dry, before the next system possibly comes ashore on Monday.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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News / Winter Weather
Recent Northwest storm parade to continue through Wednesday, but a break may be in sight
By Ryan Adamson, AccuWeather meteorologist
Updated Nov 25, 2020 9:13 AM EDT
Following a brief lull in the rain and snow in the Northwest on Monday night, forecasters say that respite is not going to last very long.
The Pacific Northwest has been the recipient of plenty of rain and snow through much of November, which is typical for this time of year as the wet season is normally in full swing.
For example, while Seattle typically averages 3.48 inches of rain in October, that number skyrockets to 6.57 inches in November. Similarly in Portland, the city has an October average of 3.00 inches of rain and 5.63 inches in November. So far this month, Seattle has received 5.10 inches and Portland has measured 4.80 inches of rain. In the mountains, the snowpack usually grows substantially in November, and this year has been no exception.
Precipitation is much needed in the region, with long-term drought ongoing. However, the recent onslaught of storms has helped to chip away at the precipitation deficits, especially in coastal Washington.
The next in the series of storms began to affect the Interstate-5 corridor in Washington and Oregon late Tuesday as a cold front came ashore. By Tuesday evening, snow was falling in the Washington Cascades as the precipitation moved into the colder air in the higher elevations. Initially, snow fell generally above pass level, beginning between about 4,000 and 4,500 feet.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
Behind the aforementioned cold front, snow levels dropped down to 2,500 and 3,000 feet Tuesday night and will remain around that level on Wednesday. Anyone traveling through the passes in the Washington and Oregon Cascades will want to make sure to check whether or not chains may be needed on tires.
This system will not only have precipitation, but also wind. The strongest winds will be right along the coast. Winds could gust as high as 40-45 mph.
Steady precipitation will become more showery on Wednesday as snow pushes into northern and western Idaho, western Montana and northwestern Wyoming. A disturbance in the atmosphere may cause precipitation to remain a little bit steadier in coastal Oregon, compared to other locations in the region.
Other than some mountain flurries in the morning, Thanksgiving is expected to be fairly quiet as high pressure temporarily builds into the Pacific Northwest.
Those planning to celebrate Thanksgiving outside this year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic can expect temperatures in the 30s F in the mountains and 40s in the lower elevations. This is near to slightly below normal for late November.
The next storm will be taking aim at the West Coast by Black Friday. However, it appears that this system is headed toward British Columbia. Therefore, many locations in the Pacific Northwest are likely to experience two consecutive dry days to end the week.
Heading into the holiday weekend, high pressure is expected to strengthen and build northward. Precipitation may fall in northern and western Washington on Saturday, but the high pressure should prevent precipitation from moving any farther south. Sunday also looks dry, before the next system possibly comes ashore on Monday.
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Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo