Special Weather Statement - Cold Air Funnels

National Weather Service - Portland has issued a Special Weather Statement at 4:00 p.m. today:

The air mass over northwest Oregon and southwest Washington is cool and unstable this afternoon and evening due to the recent passage of a cold front. This pattern can produce what is called cold air funnel clouds. These funnels do not usually touch the ground. However... if they do touch the ground they are dangerous and can be damaging. Had a third party report of what appears to be one of these near Tangent Oregon this afternoon. In the last hour... some thunderstorms have begun to develop over portions of the area. The potential for this event should decrease after sunset.

Winter Weather Advisory

Snow.........again.

Winter Weather Advisory in effect from midnight tonight to 4 PM PST Wednesday for greater Portland/Vancouver Metro area... the Willamette Valley... the lower Columbia and the I-5 corridor in Cowlitz County...

The National Weather Service in Portland has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for snow... which is in effect from midnight tonight to 4 PM PST Wednesday.

* Timing... another cold and moist system will bring the possibility of snow to The Lowlands of southwest Washington and the Willamette Valley tonight and Wednesday. The possibility of
snow will increase in after midnight and continue through Wednesday afternoon.

* Accumulation... total snow accumulations of 1 to 2 inches are possible above 500 to 800 feet tonight through Wednesday afternoon... with less than one inch of snow below 500 feet.

* Snow levels... snow levels will lower to near 500 feet in southwest Washington and the Portland Metro area... to near 800 feet in the south Willamette Valley tonight... and hold at those levels on Wednesday.

* Impacts... roads in the higher hills may be snow covered and icy tonight through Wednesday.

Weather Update for the Week

The National Weather Service (NWS) out of Portland has issued a special weather statement and hydrological outlook that may impact Cowlitz County. Synopsis is:

• Expect windy weather the next couple of days with wind gusts of up to 23 mph

• Heavy rain through Tuesday night may cause river levels to rise to bankfull (which is below flood stage). This rain will be snow in the Cascade mountains.

• A drop in freezing level Tuesday night is expected to bring snow showers with accumulations of less than 1 inch at the valley floor but more in the hills.

• Cold weather will continue through the weekend with the possibility of snow showers with small accumulations. The colder temperatures will probably reduce river levels.

Consult your normal weather source or the NWS website for full information.

3:38 p.m.

What you ask is 3:38 p.m.? The beginning of a long night, and the official start of winter solstice. As the earth rotates the sun, winter solstice occurs when the sun's position in the sky is at its greatest angular distance from the northern hemisphere resulting in the shortest day and longest night of the year.

As a reminder that winter has begun, the forecast shows a little chance of snow in the upper elevations of our County as well as some breezy conditions. Be prepared for winter driving if travels take you over the hills and through the woods to Grandma's house this holiday season.

The forecast for Cowlitz County is:

Today - Mostly cloudy in the morning...then partly sunny. A chance of showers. Highs around 45. Southeast wind 5 to 15 mph. Gusts to 25 mph. Rainfall amounts up to a quarter of an inch.

Tonight - Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain or snow. Snow level lowering to 1000 feet after midnight. Lows in the lower to mid 30s. Southeast wind 10 to 20 mph...gusts to 35 mph in the hills. Rainfall amounts around a tenth of an inch.

Wednesday - Rain likely. Snow level 1000 feet early...then rising to 2500 feet. Snow accumulation up to 2 inches. Highs 40 to 45. Southeast wind 5 to 15 mph. Rainfall amounts around a tenth of an inch.

Wednesday Night - Cloudy with a chance of rain. Snow level 2500 feet. Lows around 35. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Rainfall amounts around a tenth of an inch.

Thursday - Rain. Highs around 45. Southeast wind 10 to 20 mph. Rainfall amounts up to one inch.

*Chance* of Snow -- again

Per the National Weather Service, a storm system approaching from the south will move into the region late Friday night into Saturday morning and bring snow to the Columbia River Gorge and some locations in the Portland-Vancouver metro area. This may, or may not, have the potential for low-elevation snow in Cowlitz County. There is high confidence for accumulating snow in the Columbia River Gorge, but lower confidence for accumulating snow (above 1 inch), in the Portland-Vancouver metro area or Cowlitz County. In Cowlitz County specifically, snow levels are forecast to be about 1,000' Friday night and 1,500' Saturday night.

As the storm system approaches from the south, offshore flow (easterly winds) through the Columbia River Gorge will draw cold air into the northern Willamette Valley and Clark County. The air may be cold enough and deep enough to support snow. In the Portland-Vancouver metro area, the time frame for the potential for low elevation snow to occur will be late Friday night (after midnight) through Saturday morning (Dec 18). Snow is expected in the Columbia River Gorge late Friday night and Saturday. It is uncertain at this point in time how much snow may accumulate in the Portland-Vancouver metro area, if any. If frozen precipitation occurs in the Portland-Vancouver metro area, the precipitation is expected to turn over to all rain by Saturday afternoon. In the Columbia River Gorge and higher elevations, snow will persist through Saturday.

Please prepare for these conditions if your travels take you near the Portland Metro area or the Columbia Gorge. Also, as indicated, higher elevations in Cowlitz County could experience a small accumulation. DEM will monitor this storm and send updates as necessary.

Learn How to Sandbag

Cowlitz County Public Works is holding a sandbag class on the 16th of December. The class will be held at Cowlitz County Public Works, 1600 13th Avenue South, Kelso, WA 98626, from 6 – 8 pm. Les Miller from the Army Corps of Engineers will be the instructor and the agenda will include Levee Monitoring, Sand Bagging and new Flood Fight techniques.

If you have any questions or comments please contact Lance Ludwick at:

Lance Ludwick, P.E.
Diking Engineer
Cowlitz County Public Works
1600-13th Avenue South
Kelso, WA. 98626-2851
Tel: 360-577-3030

Weather & River Update - Saturday @ 8:30 PM

Southwest Washington, including Cowlitz County, continues to be under a flood watch through Monday morning. River levels continue to stay below flood stage as of Saturday at 20:30 hours with the Cowlitz at Kelso forecast to reach almost flood stage on Sunday morning at 8:00 AM. While we haven’t seen the amounts of rain originally forecast we must remain vigilant for the next storm system coming in on Sunday.

Weather forecast from the National Weather Service for Kelso:

Tonight: Rain. Temperature rising to around 54 by 5am. South southeast wind between 13 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.

Sunday: Rain. High near 56. South wind between 15 and 17 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.

Sunday Night: Rain, mainly before 4am. Low around 47. South wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.

Monday: Showers likely, mainly after 10am. Cloudy, with a high near 51. South wind between 6 and 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Monday Night: Rain. Low around 42. South wind between 9 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.

Check for further weather information at the National Weather Service site at:

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/pqr/

River levels and forecasts can be found at:

http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/forecasts.php?wfo=pqr

The DEM duty officer will continue to monitor the situation and report as necessary.