Three separate storms are expected to follow through the region Thursday through Monday, with possible bouts of record snow, snow storms and cold winds below zero.
For cities like Portland and Seattle, each of these weather elements is at least unusual, if not rare.
The city of Portland averages about 4 inches of snow per year, while Seattle typically sees just over 6 inches. Both cities could see more than a year of snow before Valentine’s Day.
First snowstorm in almost ten years
The first round of winter weather arrives Thursday afternoon, as a fast-paced storm swoops through the state of Oregon.
This system has 10 million people under winter weather alerts in the Pacific Northwest, with as much as 2 to 5 inches of snow possible for the Portland subway through Friday afternoon, with greater amounts of 6 to 10 inches forecast in the Hood River region.
Here, gusts of wind near hurricane force will be paired with blinding snowfall to the tune of nearly 12 inches of fresh snow by Friday afternoon.
“Travel will be challenging at times, especially late Thursday afternoon through Friday morning. Widespread drifting snow can significantly reduce visibility to 1/4 mile or less,” said the National Weather Service office in Portland.
Things seem to be quieter in the north in Seattle today, with generally less than an inch of snow in the lower areas on the north side of Puget Sound.
However, in places south of Puget Sound, including Tacoma and Pierce counties, as much as 2 to 3 inches of snow can fall, with greater amounts possible in isolated.
A year with snow in one day for Seattle
The blockbuster snow event arrives late Friday to Saturday, tracking closer to Washington state and paving the way for heavier, widespread snowfall.
“While there is still uncertainty, despite the event being close to the start of the event, this event will aim to provide more snow to a greater portion of the area,” said the NWS Seattle office.
This is when the combination of the storm track, moisture, and cold air can work together to produce a whopping 7 to 10 inches on the Seattle subway and another 3 to 7 inches on the Portland subway.
The consequences could be significant, as the system is expected to produce snow around the time of Seattle commuting.
For a historical context, Seattle would need a little over 7 inches of snow on Friday to place it in the top 10 snowiest days ever.
The city last had 6.4 inches of snow on Feb. 8, 2019, but even those kinds of snow days are rare for Seattle.
These totals are dwarfed by the predicted totals at the higher elevations of the Cascades in Washington and northern Oregon.
Here it is predicted that as much as 2-1 meters of snow will accumulate by Valentine’s Day, making for difficult travel conditions for anyone planning to cross the region’s mountain passes. While penetrating gusts of wind are to be expected at these higher elevations, cities like Portland and Seattle will also be fueled by gusts of 25 to 40 mph as these storms pass, causing the chills in the respective cities to fade into the teens. come to.
In cities like Multnomah Falls, Oregon, in the Columbia River Gorge, step outside and be greeted by gusts of 40 to 60 mph and blinding snow from the height of the storms.
The evolution of this second storm determines how much cold air will linger before the arrival of the third and final storm of this winter pattern.
A third chance of snow on Valentine’s Day
The final act of the three storms is expected to be served late Sunday to Monday.
While unusually cold air is expected to linger into Valentine’s Day, the jury is still out on how cold the air mass will be and whether it could be enough to support low-lying snow for Portland and Seattle.
At this point, the models at least suggest a mix of rain and snow as the trifecta of winter storms come to an end.
“While many thought that winter might have missed us, it looks like it was a little hiatus,” said NWS Portland.
CNN meteorologists Monica Garrett and Michael Guy contributed to this report.