It is another very cold morning across the region with temperatures in many west side locations reporting in the low 20s to upper teens. Areas east of the Cascades are in the single digits with lows in Deschutes County registering in the negatives. A few weather stations near La Pine are reporting current temperatures of -12 degrees. This is all indicative of a very dry and cold polar air mass that continues to remain in place over the next few days. This is influenced by a large ridge of high pressure. Temperatures will once again struggle to reach into the mid to upper 30s today for areas west of the Cascades. By New Years Day we could finally begin to break into the low 40s with mid 40s by Friday. Overnight lows for west side locations will only drop into the lower 20s tonight as opposed to the teens. This is very good news as the prolonged cold will not last long and we will see temperatures rise above freezing each day. Freezing fog once again does not appear to be a problem in the valleys over the next few morning, as the air mass is far too dry for it to even develop. Wind Chill temperatures have dropped into the -10 to -20 degree range for areas east of the Cascades. This increases the risk of frost bite and hypothermia across those areas when you are exposed to those conditions. Stagnant air will be the biggest issue for west side locations as cold and dense air remains trapped at the surface with little mixing of the atmosphere. This will result in deteriorating air quality across the region and will become an issue for everyone, especially those with compromised or sensitive respiratory systems. As I have been indicating for the last few days this weather pattern will begin to slowly break down by as early as Friday. Temperatures will begin to moderate over the next few days. Until this time we will see dry conditions and patchy freezing fog in the morning hours with sunshine in the afternoon. The models indicate a slight chance of rainfall for the region by next Wednesday or Thursday. This will not be a very wet system, but will be the next best chance of seeing measurable rainfall for all areas. The timing of this event is still being worked out over the next few days. I hope everyone has a very safe and enjoyable New Years Eve and Day. Happy 2015 from ryanweather.
Posted on: Wed, 31 Dec 2014 15:40:46 +0000
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