Wild Oregon Weather: Snow Possible, Russian Storm Effects on Coast

Published 11/08/2014

(Manzanita, Oregon) – A big one is brewing, if all the weather data is correct.

Meanwhile, the massive storm between Alaska and Russia may affect wave height just a little bit along the Oregon and Washington coast.

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Portland and most other weather pundits around the state say there is the possibility of not just a big freeze later this week but maybe even some snow in places like Portland, the Columbia Gorge, Salem and even the Coast Range.

The NWS said a cold front is diving southwestward out of the Canadian Rockies and it's expected to bring much colder temperatures on Wednesday and Thursday, maybe as early as Tuesday. Many locations will experience their first freeze of the year Tuesday night.

“Areas near the west end of the Columbia River Gorge will likely experience very windy conditions Tuesday and Wednesday,” the NWS said.

All this still has lots of uncertainties, the NWS said, but confidence is slowly growing that a low pressure system will move south towards the Oregon coast Wednesday, bringing precipitation. This, mixed with all the cold air, means there is a chance of snow, sleet and freezing rain across the Columbia River Gorge and possibly the Willamette Valley, including Portland.

Areas most likely to get hit are just east of Portland along the Gorge, and the NWS warned it could create power outages and traffic issues from the mouth of the Columbia (along the north Oregon coast) to Corbett and Troutdale.

“High profile vehicles will also need to use extra caution when traveling along the Interstate 84 between I205 and Bonneville Dam,” the NWS said.

In other odd weather news:

That massive storm that was creating 50-foot swells in the Bering Sea lately may have a tiny effect on waves in the Pacific Northwest. While not much, it illustrates the interesting interaction between seemingly disconnected parts of the marine environments around the world.

NWS meteorologist Amanda Bowen said the biggest waves with the system in the Bering Sea will affect Russia and the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. But a tiny portion of it will reach the western U.S. coastline.

“The wave energy from that system will make it to the Washington and Oregon coasts around Tuesday, November 11,” Bowen said. “But we'll only see seas of 8 to 10 feet, up to 12 to 13 feet well offshore - meaning beyond 15 miles offshore."

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