By Gordon McCraw, Meteorologist for the Tillamook County Pioneer
Some good news for a change, the smoke is now getting pushed over into the Cascades as a mainly zonal, or west to east flow, rests over the region. The onshore flow did push in the marine clouds again overnight, but they burned off enough to give us some afternoon sun, so the temperature was able to make it up to near 70 again today. The marine clouds, as well as some higher clouds, move across tonight so we see mostly cloudy to cloudy skies with decreasing winds, the low near 50.
Tomorrow, we will start seeing the effects of an approaching trough of low pressure dropping down from the northwest with more mid and high clouds pushing across the area. This spells only partly sunny skies with the winds becoming westerly 5-10, highs only up near 66. Tomorrow night, the trough gets stronger as it continues to move towards the Pacific Northwest, and we start to see the rain moving in. Then a chance of showers with possible thunderstorms after around midnight, some light winds, except near any heavier showers or thunderstorms as they push through, the low near 52.
Wednesday looks wet with showers and possible thunderstorms, the winds becoming southwesterly 5-10, gusty near any thunderstorms, the high only near 63. We see more rainy conditions in the evening, still a slight chance of a thunderstorm, light northwesterly winds, the low near 51.
Thursday looks partly sunny with a slight chance of scattered showers as the trough exits the area, the high near 65, then partly cloudy but dry Thursday night, the low near 50.
We see a weak ridge pushing across on Friday which helps to dry things out but maybe only briefly as the models are suggesting another trough approaches and brings another chance of showers for Saturday and Sunday, highs near 66, lows near 50. After that, some of the long range models are showing that next week will also see some periods of rain during the week.
Backing up to how much rain we are looking at with this system expected through Tuesday night into Wednesday, the coast could see 1/2 to 3/4 inches of rain for that period while the Coast Range could see 3/4 to 1 inch.