PORTLAND, Ore. — The month of April stood out for Portlanders last year thanks to multiple late-in-the-game rounds of snow, and Wednesday's forecast shows a repeat performance could be in store.
It's been an extremely rainy week so far, with more than an inch of rain recorded on Monday alone, but lower temperatures Tuesday night will cause snow levels to drop, according to KGW meteorologist Rod Hill.
Sticking snow showers could be possible below 1,000 feet from midnight until about 9 a.m. Wednesday, he said, although any low-level snow accumulation will likely be light and melt quickly as temperatures rise again late Wednesday morning.
The type of precipitation may also vary between different parts of the Portland metro area; overnight lows in most places will be in the mid to upper 30s, Hill said, but snow could briefly accumulate in areas with cold air pockets.
Last year saw 1.6 inches of sticking snow on April 11, followed by 0.3 inches on April 12. The month also brought a record-breaking 5.73 inches of rain over its 30 days last year, and that's another feature that April 2023 seems eager to emulate.
Portland has seen 3.02 inches of rain so far this April, Hill said, which is already more than the region normally gets in the entire month; the average total is 2.89 inches.
"I will tell you, at this point a year ago, we did not have already three inches of rain," Hill said. "So if we get a couple more good rainmakers, maybe we at least give the top 5 list for wet Aprils another crack this month."
Thursday and Friday are expected to bring a welcome break from the rain, Hill said, although afternoon showers are still possible on Thursday and Saturday. Rain and colder temperatures will return Sunday as a new cold front moves into the region.
The good news about all the rain is that cool, wet springs can lead to shorter wildfire seasons in the summer, Hill noted. That ended up happening last year, when heavy spring rain pushed the start of wildfire season all the way back to mid-July for some parts of the state.