PORTLAND, Ore. — After a brief window of mild weather this week, much of Western Oregon will see a pretty dramatic fluctuation over the next few days — bouncing from the highest temperatures we've seen so far this year to much chillier weather and dropping snow levels by the weekend.
Thursday
Thursday morning won’t be nearly as cold as Wednesday morning, when temperatures were just above freezing in the Portland area. Lows will be in the 40s, but the afternoon highs are the real story.
KGW Chief Meteorologist Matt Zaffino said that the Portland area will have a particularly beautiful spring day by Thursday afternoon. Oregon's western valleys will see temperatures climb into the mid to upper 70s for the first time since late September.
Friday
Despite the long-awaited warm temperatures on Thursday, winter makes a comeback by Friday. Rain showers will return, and highs will top out around 60 degrees.
Saturday and Sunday
Temperatures will only continue to drop into the weekend, and the showers will stick around. Highs on Saturday are expected to be around 50 degrees, and may remain below 50 throughout Sunday.
Showers will continue through the weekend, and the snow level will drop to 500 feet — low enough to reach the West Hills in Portland and the foothills surrounding our valleys, perhaps even the valley floors at times.
Snow will be heavy in the Cascades, but the KGW weather team doesn't expect any accumulation of note in Oregon's western valleys.
Looking beyond the weekend, Monday will continue the trend of cold, rainy days, with highs recovering into the low 50s. Cool and wet weather is likely to hang on into the middle of next week.
