From the National Weather Service:
...A WET AND WINDY THURSDAY ON TAP FOR SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON AND
NORTHWEST OREGON...
A STRONG PACIFIC COLD FRONT WILL BRING LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN AND
GUSTY WINDS TO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST THURSDAY. SNOW LEVELS WILL
LOWER BEHIND THE COLD FRONT...WITH SNOW AFFECTING THE CASCADE
PASSES BY AFTERNOON AND INCREASING INTO THE EVENING.
LOW PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO RAPIDLY DEVELOP OFFSHORE LATER TODAY
AND TONIGHT WHILE APPROACHING VANCOUVER ISLAND AND THE OLYMPIC
PENINSULA. THIS SYSTEM IS THEN EXPECTED TO WEAKEN SLIGHTLY BEFORE
MOVING ONSHORE NEAR THE OLYMPIC PENINSULA THURSDAY...HOWEVER IT
IS EXPECTED TO MAINTAIN ENOUGH STRENGTH TO BRING WINDY CONDITIONS
TO SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON AND NORTHWEST OREGON.
SOUTH WINDS SHOULD INCREASE ALONG THE COAST LATER TONIGHT...WITH
GUSTS 45 TO 55 MPH LIKELY TO AFFECT THE BEACHES AND HEADLANDS AS
THE COLD FRONT MOVES ONSHORE IN THE MORNING. ANOTHER SURGE OF WEST
TO SOUTHWEST WIND IS EXPECTED AS THE LOW PRESSURE CENTER MOVES
ONSHORE...WITH A PROLONGED PERIOD OF GUSTS 35 TO 45 MPH LIKELY FOR
THE COASTAL COMMUNITIES THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE STRONG
WINDS WILL RESULT IN BUILDING SURF ALONG THE BEACHES THURSDAY
AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS WELL.
INLAND AREAS WILL ALSO SEE WINDS INCREASE THURSDAY AS THE COLD
FRONT MOVES THROUGH. SOUTHWEST WINDS MAY GUST 30 TO 40 MPH IN THE
INLAND VALLEYS AND METRO AREAS...WITH STRONGER WINDS IN THE
CASCADES.
THE FRONT WILL ALSO BRING A BURST OF LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN THURSDAY.
RAINFALL TOTALS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES ARE LIKELY ALONG THE COAST AND IN
THE HIGHER TERRAIN. THE HEAVIEST AMOUNTS WILL BE IN THE COAST
RANGE AND IN THE CASCADES NEAR THE OREGON AND WASHINGTON BORDER.
INLAND VALLEYS WILL PROBABLY SEE ABOUT ONE HALF INCH TO ONE INCH
OF RAIN FROM THIS SYSTEM.
COLD AIR BEHIND THE FRONT WILL CAUSE SNOW LEVELS TO LOWER RAPIDLY
THURSDAY AFTERNOON. RAIN WILL CHANGE TO SNOW BY AFTERNOON ON THE
CASCADE PASSES...BUT SNOW WILL PROBABLY HAVE A HARD TIME
ACCUMULATING ON THE PASSES UNTIL NIGHTFALL. THE CASCADE PASSES
SHOULD RECEIVE 3 TO 6 INCHES OF SNOW BY FRIDAY MORNING...WHILE THE
HIGHER SKI RESORT ELEVATIONS RECEIVE AS MUCH AS A FOOT OR MORE
FROM THIS SYSTEM.
OVERALL THURSDAY WILL BE AN UNSETTLED DAY WITH RAPIDLY CHANGING
WEATHER. STAY INFORMED ON THE LATEST FORECASTS AND WARNINGS BY
VISITING WEATHER.GOV/PORTLAND...LISTENING TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...
OR BY MONITORING YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA OUTLET.
$$
