I’ll have a nice more detailed update either tonight or early Tuesday morning. There is a LOT going on, and the next 3 days are going to be pretty wild by our mellow Oregon standards.

Tuesday

Salem area: Frequent showers/downpours with heavy rain, hail, and graupel (mix of snow and hail essentially) are all likely during the day Tuesday. Sunbreaks in between, and gusty winds 30 to 35mph at times. Some thunder is even possible. A wild day for sure!

The Coast Range: Snow levels will be low Tuesday – roughly 1000′, but lower at times which means Coast Range highways and roads will likely see heavy snow through the course of the day. The jet stream will be ripping Tuesday aiding orographic lift which always helps enhance precipitation in the mountains. 3 to 6 inches of snow on Tuesday in the Coast Range.

The Cascades: These mountains are going to get hit especially hard. High winds coupling with heavy snow all day long Tuesday will make for awful travel conditions. I highly recommend you do not travel this day if possible. Looking at 1 to 2 feet of new snow this day depending on elevation with wind gusts up to 45mph at times.

Wednesday and Thursday

Snow levels will lower to near the valley floor this day as onshore winds lighten up and colder air moves in. All this happening while snow showers move ashore. Anyone could see snow this day; however, accumulations will be spotty below 500 feet. I hold the chances for Salem seeing measurable/accumulation snow this day HIGHER than what we saw last week when we had our flirtation with snow. All day long snow and rain/snow mixed showers will fall with sunbreaks here and there in between.

Meanwhile it will be a second day of very snowy passes both in the Coast and Cascade Ranges. Another 4 to 8 inches in the Coast Range, and another foot or more in the Cascades.

At some point Wednesday evening, we switch to an even colder northeasterly wind which will transport frigid air from the north into our region. A new low pressure system forms somewhere just offshore along the edge of this arctic boundary setting the stage for widespread and heavier snow here in the Willamette Valley.

Between Wednesday night and Thursday morning anyone in the Salem area could pick up a few inches of new snow with this storm as it slides south. Seems like Thursday could end up being a rare snow day around here, but again, timing and the exact location of this low will determine how much snow falls and where it falls, so stay tuned for those updates.

Phew! It’s going to be a wild few days, so get ready!