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Forecast

1/6 forecast



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Good morning!

Although we all hope for lots of moisture during a La Nina season, today is one of those days when we’ll leave the moisture for a different mountain range. Free air freezing levels today will be around 8000 feet, but fortunately, precipitation will be light and spotty all day. However, any moisture that falls will fall as r**n. Winds will be SW at 15-25mph this morning, decreasing to WSW 10-15 this evening.

Tomorrow looks better. Free air freezing levels start the day around 7000’-7500’. By the time the moisture hits, around 1pm, the snow level should be down around 5000’. If not, it will be down to 5000’ by 7pm, when the bulk of the precipitation hits. By 1am, snow levels will be down near 1500’. Total precipitation between 1pm and 10pm will be .5-.75” water value, for 6-8” of new snow. We’ll see an additional 3-4” overnight. Winds tomorrow start off at WSW 15-25, increasing to WSW 25-35 by 4pm.

Saturday looks cold, with snow levels at 1000’-1500’. Total water value on Saturday will be .25”-.5” of orographic precipitation, likely mixed in with sunbreaks. Most of that moisture will fall before 4pm, for 4-5” of snow. Winds on Saturday start at NW 15-25, decreasing to NW 10-20 late in the day.

Sunday looks cold and mostly dry, with light wind and sunshine. Snow levels Sunday will be around 1000’.

In case you’re wondering why California has been getting the bulk of the moisture so far this year, I have an explanation, stolen from an article by a Cali meteorologist. There is a second, climate cycle that affects the PNW, called the Arctic Oscillation (well, there’s a third too, the PDO). According to the author of this article, it’s random, switching between the cold and warm phase on a weekly or monthly or who-knows basis. Anyway, it’s in the cold phase now, meaning there’s high pressure in the arctic. That high pressure is pushing the storm track further south than it would normally be, sending the big storms to Cali. Or that’s the theory, anyway… food for thought.

Have an awesome day today!

Temira

p.s. If you find this report useful, entertaining, or just want to recognize all the hard work that goes into it, please take the time to make a donation by clicking on the button at the bottom of the page. For a suggested donation of $10, I’ll add you to the email version of this list ‘til November 2011, putting you in the running for cool prizes donated by the weekly sponsors.

Categories
Forecast

1/5 Forecast



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Good morning!

So far this morning the Gorge has been spared the effects of the incoming precipitation, but the dry weather isn’t going to last all day. Expect snow down low and some freezing rain on the roads to Mt. Hood (ODOT is already reporting freezing rain on 26, and we’ll see some from Parkdale up as well). We’ll see an inch or two of wet snow in Hood River today before the cold air mixes out later this evening. It’s currently raining near Teacup and snowing at the MHM base lodge, if you were wondering.

Up on the mountain today, snow levels will start around 4500 feet and rise to 6500 feet by 1pm as the warm front pushes eastward. Morning winds will be SW at 15-25, rising to WSW 25-30 midday, then dropping to WSW 10-20 this evening and holding overnight. Total precipitation today depends a lot on a small variation in the storm track. As of now, it looks like we’ll see a total of .3-.5” of water value (although some models suggest up to .75”, but the bulk of this system will pass to the north of us). Heaviest precip will be this morning, in the form of snain, switching over to light rain from 6000’ down or so this afternoon.

Light rain/snow mix continues overnight, ending by 7am. The free air freezing level tomorrow will be around 6500-7000 feet… at least tomorrow looks dry. Winds tomorrow will be SW at 15-20 all day.

Friday starts off dry, but precipitation begins around 10, likely in the form of rain, switching to snow by noon. Snow levels start at 6500 feet and rapidly drop to 4000’ by 1pm. Snow levels continue to fall Friday night, dropping to 1500’ by Saturday morning. During the day Friday, we’ll see .75” water equivalent for 4-6” down low and 6-9” up high. Another 3-4” will fall between 10pm and 4am. Winds Friday start at SW 20-30, increasing to WSW 30-40 by 1pm and switching to W 25-30 in the evening.

Models for Saturday are mixed, showing either very light precip or up to .5” of water value. Either way, snow levels will be 1500’ or less, so whatever we see will fall as snow. Winds Saturday will be W, switching to WNW at 15-20. Sunday looks dry and sunny.

That concludes your ski resort weather forecast for today. Have an awesome day!

Temira

p.s. If you find this report useful, entertaining, or just want to recognize all the hard work that goes into it, please take the time to make a donation by clicking on the button at the bottom of the page. For a suggested donation of $10, I’ll add you to the email version of this list ‘til November 2011, putting you in the running for cool prizes donated by the weekly sponsors.