Staying home or hitting the road? Here's what you need to know about holiday weather
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Unlike Christmastime 2022, we are looking at snow-free conditions in the Portland metro area this holiday.
The weather pattern in the Willamette Valley will stay on the quieter side, with more dry times than rainy moments this year. However, you may want to keep a close eye on the forecast this weekend and beyond. There could be pockets of wintry weather setting up this year around the region.
First, things first, it is dry midweek…
Weak high pressure is setting up Wednesday and Thursday around the Pacific Northwest, which will help to keep us dry through Thursday. These will be great days for traveling in and out of the area.
If you’re staying around the area or have family visiting…
Will we see sticking snow in Portland this year? Don't count on it. We're lacking cold enough air and not enough precipitation. Temperatures will drop over the weekend into the mid-upper 40s, with chilly overnight lows in the mid-upper 30s. Snow levels may also hover near 2,000 feet through the start of the weekend before warming slightly by Christmas here in western Oregon.
Showers steadily taper off around the region by Saturday morning, but a brief snow or mixed shower in the Cascade foothills in Oregon and Washington is still possible. l still see little to no impact on the roadways for those who do see any brief snow showers. And no issues on Interstate 5 if you're heading in and out of Portland that day.
We'll see another chance for scattered showers across the Portland metro area both Sunday and Monday. The precipitation looks very light and scattered, and we'll remain too warm for any sticking snow. However, we will have to keep an eye on any colder, near-freezing pockets that stick around through Sunday and Monday morning.
We'll likely lean on the drier side of things this Christmas, but I would still carry some rain gear just in case. A nice big puffy jacket will come in handy too.
Heading over the river and into the mountains..?
A cold front will shift into the region come Friday, bringing widespread rain back into western Oregon and a fresh blanket of snowfall in the Cascades. Expect snow-covered roadways by Friday afternoon through Saturday morning. With good car tires and/or chains, I think you'll be able to get over the passes just fine!
What about the Gorge + Cascade Foothills..?
Expect rain into Friday across the Columbia Gorge with wet conditions on Interstate 84. Temps will also drop in this region with near-freezing temps overnight lows.
Sunday through Tuesday of next week will be the timeframe where lingering cold pockets and warm showers overhead could produce pockets of snow and/or freezing rain. This could impact the drive through Highway 35 in the Upper Hood River Valley, the Columbia Gorge on Interstate 84 near Hood River, and sections of the Cascade foothills in Washington. However, whether or not we get a good amount of precipitation is still uncertain. We may end up on the drier side to kick off the week.
Taking I-5 to Gramma’s house..?
Anyone heading north or south on Interstate 5 should not see much impact from the weather, other than some expected rain showers. The wet weather arrives Friday and likely lasts through Christmas.
Celebrating the holiday on the beach…?
The coast looks rainy at times this weekend. Be prepared for gusty winds on Friday too, with scattered showers at times over the weekend. The chance for rain increases on Christmas morning with more persistent rain and wet conditions arriving later in the week.
In all, your best days to hit the roadways will be Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday. However, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day will also provide plenty of dry moments too around western Oregon.
Stick with the KOIN 6 Weather team for forecast updates.
Stay safe on the roadways and have a lovely holiday!