Drenching rains could cause flooding in Portland
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Map of computer model projections for rainfall totals across the West Coast through Sunday, Nov. 25. Image: Weatherbell.com
A series of storms between Tuesday and the end of the week is expected to bring heavy rain, high wind and the potential for flooding across much of Oregon, according to local meteorologists.
Why it matters: The Portland metro area could see as much as 2 inches of precipitation within a 72-hour period.
The latest: The "first big wave" of the atmospheric river event will come Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday morning, Tom Schuldt, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Portland, told Axios.
- Expect near-constant rainfall until Friday and wet weather to continue throughout the weekend.
Threat level: Recent fallen leaves from deciduous trees could block storm drains and cause urban flooding in the Portland area, Schuldt added. Nearby creeks and rivers may rise, too.
- Bad news for skiers: The snow that has been building up the last month or so across the lower-elevation Cascades "will become waterlogged and erode," which could also lead to significant snowpack runoff, Schuldt said.
- Drivers should use caution throughout mountain passes.
- Plus: While the high wind watch and developing bomb cyclone — an intensifying low pressure system — remains confined to the coast, somewhat breezy conditions may be felt throughout the Willamette Valley, too.
The big picture: Even though November is typically one of Oregon's wettest months, an emerging La Niña winter is expected to bring cooler temperatures and wetter than average weather.
Yes, but: The average winter temperature in Portland has risen 1.4° F since 1970, according to an analysis from the research group Climate Central.
- Winters are warming quickly across much of the Lower 48 states, particularly during the past three decades. This is tied to human-caused climate change.