Leave Spring Alone

The month will wrap up this week, but Winter will not leave Spring alone quite yet.   Get that morn’n Mug ready.  Here goes — 

Yes, we have another unusually cold system coming back into the PNW to end this week, and start April.  More on that in a bit.  Today & Tue there is a very strong storm developing west of the Oregon coast.  A storm that would cause wind damage, were it to track west and make landfall over Oregon.  However, as mentioned in our last report, the system will deepen rapidly to a center pressure of ~978 mb, then track south - off the coast - toward California over the next 24 hours.  The associated rain field will wet southern OR and rush south across CA as the week progresses.  

For the rest of the PNW, we can expect a shower here & there south of Portland - maybe - and dry conditions setting up for Tue afternoon, Wed & Thu.  An EAST WIND will really get noticed later today & Tue, both for the Columbia Gorge and the Fraser Gap and down the Cascades passes.  Short-term event, though.  The powerful Pacific storm will literally spin down the CA coast, with rain & wind; the farther south it goes, the weaker PNW east winds will get. Temps for our region will be on the cool side, but at least it will be DRY.  

Winter returns to Spring.  What seems like a weekend affair, another COLD winter-like system will move in from the NW on Fri, the last day of March.  This system would bring snow to the surface were this Jan or Feb.  Instead, we can expect thunderstorms, hail, snow/rain mix, wind gusts, rain - yeah, it all, as the cold air moves in April Fool’s Day.  No joke.  It will be much like last weekend.  Daily ‘rapid lift’ picturesque clouds & potential for thunder/lightning & hail should last through Mon Apr 3.  The cold air will seep into portions of northern CA, too, so they can expect a frost risk early next week in the Big Valley (not good for tree crops).  Tue & early Wed next should be dry, turning a tad warmer, as well.

By overnight next Wed, Apr 5, moderate-to-heavy rain will return to the PNW.  This storm will not carry quite the cold air pack, but still, more snowfall over the Cascades and blustery wx for a day or so.  We have asked politely for Winter to leave Spring alone to no avail.  What was to be our Spring Weekend (Easter - April 8,9) is now trending to start off with another cold system on Saturday.  Enough already!  Easter Sunrise should be partly cloudy; CHILLY.  The rain should let up by Easter.   Better relief is on the way.

The pattern for the week after Easter is looking just plain awesome.  Spring will finally kick out the seasonal door.  Temps in the 60s & 70s are on the charts, as a ridge of High pressure builds over the west coast on Mon, Tue & Wed.   Long overdue.