Cool, wet weather remains over Oregon and Washington Thursday

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Spring is typically cool and wet in the Pacific Northwest and that's what's on tap for the Portland area Thursday.

Temperatures will stay cool today, nearly 10 degrees cooler than average, only making it into the low 50s during the afternoon hours. The cooler conditions will come with a few scattered rain showers across the second half of the day. The greatest rain accumulation will fall during the late afternoon and evening time. Nearly a quarter of an inch to almost a half inch of rain is possible Thursday through Friday.

The cooler and wetter conditions mean lower snow elevation levels over the Cascades. Snow levels will fall to nearly 1,500 feet in some locations. That means Oregon ski resorts will see beneficial spring snow.

The cooler weather trend will take Portland into the weekend. It's not until next week that Portland and much of western Oregon and Washington will see a gradual warming trend.

Clouds early next week might make it difficult to see the partial solar eclipse in the Pacific Northwest. Only 26% of the sun will be covered by the moon, but there's a chance that 100% of clouds could cover the eclipse itself.

Even for those in the path of totality, clouds might cause some issues for those wanting to view the eclipse in the south. Southeast Missouri looks to be one of the sunniest locations in the path of totality.