Rainy Thanksgiving weather expected for much of Western Oregon, continuing into weekend
Thanksgiving travelers in Oregon should see dry weather Wednesday before rain sets in on Thanksgiving Day in most places and continues into Friday, forecasts show, followed by a chance of rain Saturday and a mostly dry Sunday.
From Eugene to Salem and Portland, highs are expected to be between 45 and 50 degrees Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service in Portland. On Thursday, rain is likely to start in the late morning in the northern part of the valley, Portland and Salem, and after 5 p.m. in Eugene.
After another day of rain Friday, mainly before 10 a.m., Saturday has a 30% chance of rain in Eugene and 50% in Salem and Portland, with rain mostly falling before 10 a.m. Sunday is expected to be drier, however, with partly sunny weather in Eugene, a chance of rain in Salem and mostly cloudy skies in Portland.
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Miles Higa, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Portland, said there's not much unique about the wet conditions expected for the holiday, but he advised taking normal precautions for driving in the rain.
"It doesn’t look like there’s any big rain or snow, but take the usual precautions on driving this time of year with wet roads," he said.
The Olympic Peninsula and British Columbia are expected to get the most precipitation and be "slammed" with rain later this week and into the weekend, meteorologist John Bumgardner with the National Weather Service in Portland said Wednesday.
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Early week snow, then rain in Cascades
A substantial amount of snow fell along the Cascade Range in Lane County on Monday night, with totals ranging from as low as 3 inches on Highway 58 at the Salt Creek Falls observation station, to as high as 11 inches at McKenzie Pass. At Cascade Summit near Odell Lake, there were 6 inches of snow.
Further north in the Cascades, Santiam Pass got 8 inches of snow, and the Timberline Lodge got 12 inches.
Mountain passes are expected to be warmer and partly sunny Wednesday.
Snow levels are also expected to rise from 6,500 feet to 8,000 feet o Thursday afternoon. Higa added it looks like rain will only be at the passes and not other areas of the Cascades.
On Friday there's a 70% chance of rain at Willamette Pass, mainly before 4 p.m., with a high near 40 degrees. Mostly sunny weather is expected to last over the entire weekend in the cascades, with highs of 47 and 49 degrees, respectively, on Saturday and Sunday.
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Coast expected to get rain, hazardous beach conditions
In Florence, rain is likely all week, with a reprieve Wednesday, which is expected to be partly sunny with a 10% chance of rain, forecasts show. Highs in Florence are expected in the mid-to-low 50s on Thanksgiving, before warming up on Friday and going into the weekend with highs getting close to 60 degrees.
A "beach hazards" statement was issued by the National Weather Service on Wednesday, indicating a higher threat for large sneaker waves that can knock people down and pull them into the ocean all along the Oregon and Washington coasts.
The statement is in effect Thursday morning through Friday evening, with the high tide Thursday afternoon possibly bringing the highest threat. Those at the coast are being warned by the National Weather Service to be careful of waves rising higher up the beach than expected.
"It should be something people are aware of, it’s not a high surf warning, so the waves aren’t as dangerously high, but we do have more long period swells, and the wave heights are low but the periods are longer," said meteorologist Briana Muhlestein with the National Weather Service in Portland. "It may seem like the beach isn’t that hazardous, but all of a sudden you have a wave run up higher than expected."
Rain and possible flooding forecast in Washington, sun down south
If you're traveling south, the Southern Oregon and Northern California forecasts show favorable weather for the holiday week with mostly sunny skies with a high of in the 50s, although there will be patchy fog in the mornings.
If you're headed north on Interstate 5 into Washington, the week's forecast calls for rain from Vancouver to Seattle and accompanied possible river flooding, according to the National Service. The "hydrologic outlook" flood alert was issued Wednesday, indicating a threat of river flooding Wednesday night into the weekend for parts of Western Washington.
The possible flooding is being caused by a series of atmospheric river events, which will result in rising snow levels and heavy rain, which increases runoff and results in rising river levels. It will also increase the potential for landslides.
The first weather system is expected to begin Wednesday night, peak Thursday, and taper off through Friday. A second is forecast to last Saturday through Saturday night with similar rainfall amounts. There could also be a third weather system Monday through Wednesday next week, the National Weather Service alert said.
The Washington Department of Transportation said state highways across the state will see higher than usual traffic around Thanksgiving, especially on Interstate 90, where lengthy delays are expected. Longer than typical wait times at ferry docks also are expected during a holiday that falls on a weekend.
Louis Krauss covers breaking news for The Register-Guard. Contact him at lkrauss@registerguard.com or 541-521-2498, and follow him on Twitter @LouisKraussNews.
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Rainy Thanksgiving weather expected for much of western Oregon
