PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — Get ready for a soaking this weekend. Rain returns to the Pacific Northwest as storms push through the region, dropping inches of rain.
“After operating in a rain deficit for this month, we may see as much rain this weekend as we’ve logged for the entire month,” Storm Tracker 2 Meteorologist Rhonda Shelby said.
Forecast models project one to five inches of rain across Oregon and southwest Washington. The higher amounts will fall in the hills, mountains, and the coast.
In the Willamette Valley, rainfall could cause some flooding issues. “Our snow level is projected to rise to near 8000 feet,” Shelby said. “Small local rivers and creeks that normally rise in the event of rapid mountain snowfall may see significantly higher water next week.”
The snowpack measured at Timberline Lodge is at 144” as of Thursday morning. The snow water equivalent measured just under Timberline Lodge is 42.5 inches, about 111% of the average.
Timberline Lodge sits at an elevation of 6000 feet, and rain will melt a little bit of the base.
As of February 19, all basins across Oregon remain above 100% of the average snow water equivalent.
