A brief update for you all tonight with a more detailed forecast planned for Thursday evening. I know Christmas is approaching and people want to know what to expect weatherwise. I’ll do my best to give at least a big picture with more details coming on Thursday.

The key points in tonight’s update are the gusty winds expected between 8 to 4am tonight/early tomorrow morning, and the mostly dry and decently mild weather expected to last Wed afternoon through Saturday morning.

Currently it’s very mild. Check out these 5pm temps from earlier this evening. Very mild for mid December. Notice the gorge keeping Portland a little bit cooler still, but even that will change soon.

1.) The wind: Gusts will generally be in the 35 to 45mph range between 8 and 4am. This is at the upper end of what we have seen so far this season, so I expect a few isolated power outages or downed limbs. This is not a major windstorm though, and many of us might not notice given the strong winds will take place overnight. Could be a good night so secure any loose items, or Christmas decorations that could catch the wind.

2.) Dry weather: Wednesday afternoon through Saturday morning should be mostly dry. Slight chance for a sprinkle or brief shower, but the vast majority of this timeframe will be dry. It will also be quite mild. Highs in the mid to upper 50s will make it feel rather balmy compared to the chilly weather we have been seeing.

3.) Christmas week: A parade of storms is set to hit the pacific northwest beginning Saturday afternoon and lasting through next week. Expect plenty of rain each day, gusty winds at times, and even rain up in the Cascade passes most days. Snow levels will be fairly high, so I’ll keep an eye on rainfall totals and the potential for any flooding. There are some powerful storms expected to hit up and down the west coast next week, and their actual routes will have big impacts on our local weather. Hopefully by Thursday evening we will have a better idea of what to expect with some of those stronger storms.

Stay safe, happy Tuesday evening, and plan on hearing the wind a bit tonight as the cold front and stronger gusts move through.