By Gordon McCraw, Meteorologist for the Tillamook County Pioneer
We had a front march through this morning that gave us about 1/4” or less of light rain with relatively light winds. Its associated low pressure center then headed toward Washington, increasing the winds and pushing in some showers with a thunderstorm threat. The low will continue to push into Washington tonight and brings a threat of moderate to heavy showers with small hail as well as the thunderstorm threat. Winds will become southerly 10-15 gusting to 30, with gusts to 40-50 possible at the beaches, especially in and around any thunderstorms as they push through, the low temperature tonight near 48.
The low pushes inland tomorrow morning so we continue to see moderate to heavy showers rotating across the area, some with hail, along with that chance of thunderstorms. It will also continue to give us some breezy westerly winds as it moves inland, then some more northerly winds as it moves northeast of our area. Winds will be around 10-15 gusting to 30. The showers and winds will ease tomorrow night and the thunderstorm chance diminishes, winds westerly 5-10 becoming southerly after midnight, lows near 49.
By Thursday we see a weak ridge moving in, so the shower chance ends but there is a chance of some patchy morning fog, otherwise we see partly sunny skies with east winds 4-8, highs up around 65. Still a mostly cloudy night, lows near 50.
Friday on through the weekend we see a trough of low pressure inching in which gives us a chance of rain or rainshowers each day through Monday, the highs in the lows 60s, lows in the low 50s.
Just a heads up to the beach walkers, and potential fishermen. Because of the strong westerly winds developing offshore associated with the low pressure area that will move into Washington tomorrow, I am seeing in the forecast the potential for some significantly high seas, in the area of 20 to 30’; building well offshore tonight into tomorrow morning, and the wave forecasts show this getting pushed towards the coast though they will ease some before reaching the coast. It suggests the waves will still be in the 15-18’ range near the coast tomorrow morning from near Tillamook southward, lower as you go north along the coast. They will then start to fall and be in the 7-10’ range by Thursday morning. Think “Sneaker Wave” as a result!
