Winter storm warning issued for Oregon mountains, Willamette Valley could see flakes
Update at Monday, Feb. 26: For the latest update on snow in the Willamette Valley and Oregon mountains, see our most recent story here.
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Enjoy the sunshine while you can, Oregon.
The spring-like weather will be swapped out for cold rain and possible flakes in the Willamette Valley while heaps of snow piles up in the mountains next week.
Travel in the Cascades and Coast ranges could be challenging as between 2-4 feet of snow is forecast above 1,500 feet through Friday.
A beach hazard warning also has been issued for the Oregon Coast.
Will there be snow in the Willamette Valley?
There will be an outside chance for sleet or light snow in the higher elevations of the Willamette Valley. The most likely moment for that wintery mix is Monday afternoon into Tuesday, but no major impact is expected.
“We could see some graupel or wet snowflakes in the valley, but we’re expecting most of it to fall as rain,” National Weather Service meteorologist Clinton Rockey said.
Friday night into Saturday could also bring chances for snow in the valley.
Winter storm warning issued for Sunday-Monday
A winter storm warning has been issued from Sunday afternoon through Monday afternoon across the length of the Cascade Range east of the Willamette Valley. Snowfall of 6-12 inches is forecast above 1,000 feet while 1-2 feet is forecast above 2,000 feet. Winds could gust as high as 50 mph, mainly on exposed higher terrain.
Travel over Santiam Pass (Highway 20), Willamette Pass (Highway 58) and the Mount Hood area (Highway 26) could be very difficult, the warning said.
In the Coast Range, a winter weather advisory has been issued for above 1,000 feet for 2-5 inches of snow. That could impact roadways between the Willamette Valley and the coast.
Light snow will stay consistent through the week before another slug of heavier snow arrives most likely between Wednesday and Thursday, Rockey said. That could bring more challenging travel conditions.
Will there be any flooding in Oregon?
Rockey said no widespread flooding was expected in the Willamette Valley, as only about 1.5 inches of rain is forecasted. Because most of the precipitation will turn into snow in the mountains, there shouldn’t be too much runoff.
“We’re really only expecting the usual suspects to get very high — the Pudding and Luckiamute and other rivers like that,” Rockey said.
Beach hazard warning issued for Oregon Coast
A beach hazard warning has been issued due to high waves on the coast through Sunday night.
"Waves can run up significantly farther on a beach than normal, including over rocks and jetties," NWS wrote. Sneaker waves can suddenly knock people off of their feet and quickly pull them into the frigid ocean which may lead to serious injury or drowning.
When will the weather get nice again?
It’s unclear when things will clear up again, as mostly rainy weather is projected to stay in place through next weekend.
“This is pretty typical late winter and early spring weather,” Rockey said.
Cooler and wetter than normal conditions are forecast for the next 8 to 14 days, according to NOAA.
Storm should grow Oregon’s snowpack in a major way
The wet start to 2024 has already put Oregon’s drought map at its lowest levels since 2019. That trend should only continue with the rain and boost to Oregon’s snowpack.
Oregon’s snowpack is currently 90% of normal. The incoming snow, especially with its lower elevations, should boost the state’s snowpack back above normal.
It’s a remarkable turnout given the historically snowless December that kept ski areas closed until January.
Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter in Oregon for 15 years and is host of the Explore Oregon Podcast. Urness is the author of “Best Hikes with Kids: Oregon” and “Hiking Southern Oregon.” He can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on Twitter at @ZachsORoutdoors.
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Winter storm warning issued for Oregon mountains, valley to see flakes
