Wintery Easter Season?

 

Winter weather pattern may return later the month.  Let’s hope the models are joking.  Better Mug up, Patron.

 

Mild Friday ahead, with a few clouds & maybe a shower or two, esp north of Portland.  Saturday also trending mild and generally dry.  The weak front passing today will sweep the stage for the upcoming big show.  STORMY conditions will begin on Sunday.  First to arrive will be a shot of rain, moving in from the northwest, so WA & Vancouver Is. first, then OR as the day progresses.  By nightfall, a powerful storm will begin to push into the PNW.  This one will pack quite a blow, literally.  WIND will increase, esp along the coast & up in the mountains Sunday night into Monday.  Western valleys will also turn quite windy.  May be good to secure outdoor furniture.  RAIN will be heavy.  SNOW at pass level and higher will measure 1+ to 2+ FEET during this event, which combined with strong winds, will make any travel over the Cascades risky.  If you must go, please carry winter gear and emergency supplies in your vehicle.

 

Pressure differences between Brookings OR and north Vancouver Island are charting to be quite large for April, hence the wind issue.  It will be windy all day Monday, as a 984 mb Low center passes just north of Vancouver Is.  Wind will let up overnight Monday, so too, the precip, as rain turns to showers (which could be intense, given the cold air on the back side of this strong April storm).  

 

Wednesday next week should be mostly dry, warmer.  On Thu, a weak system may bring clouds and showers over NW WA; dry for the rest of the PNW on into Palm Sunday weekend.  Here’s where the long-range forecast is trending winter-like.  A series of very COLD systems are modeled to push out of the Gulf of Alaska into the PNW.  Air over the Gulf will turn winter-cold.  Late Palm Sunday (the 10th), the first storm will arrive, with cold air (snow at low elevations, maybe even mixing to the surface, WINDY as the charted Low moves onshore around Astoria.  Mountain & coast range snow event is probable.  Rain & wind pick back up again on Tue Apr 12 and hold through the 13th.  Again, snow measured by the foot is possible at pass level.  The air mass will remain quite cold for April, so snow mixing down to coast range, or even to 500-800 ft is possible. Cold & damp Wed - Fri Apr 13-15.  More cold rain, mountain snow charting for the middle week of April - Easter.

 

OK.  So, is the above an April Fool’s Day forecast?  No, this pattern has been hinted at by the long-range charts for several days now.  Whether or not the pattern verifies is the uncertainty.  We have experienced winter-like weather during Easter season in the past.  We’ll be monitoring this closely in the week ahead.