Weather Eye: Bundle up — it’s going to get chilly and windy, and snowy in Gorge

The weather forecast today is a chilling one. Not to be confused with a literary thriller or mystery, but a real shocker to the flesh.

Strong east winds will develop today and the National Weather Service issued a high-wind warning late Monday for most of Clark County, in effect from this morning through noon Wednesday. The western portions will have less wind but still a blustery day.

The strong arctic cold that is plummeting down east of the Rockies is filtering over the Cascades and down through our Columbia River Gorge. Expect possible power outages in east county due to the high winds. The wind-sheltered locations will be into the 20s tonight, so that spells the end for any tender plants outdoors — cover them or bring them inside. The air mass is dry, so I don’t expect much frost.

The windy areas will remain above freezing, although the wind chill will make it feel much colder.

Fair weather will last through Wednesday but clouds will increase as a low off the Oregon Coast gets closer and moisture streams northward. It will override the cold air but we may see only a brief shot of freezing rain or sleet locally. Areas near the Gorge will have more icy conditions and snow is certain for parts of the Gorge. Factor that in if you are heading east on Thursday.

If this was a month from now, we could have a serious situation with snow and ice but this time, only a glancing blow. It can snow in November, but that is really rare.

Dating myself, I remember going sledding on Nov. 10 and 11, 1955, in Portland with no school. It was enough to make a snowman, too. I’d have to dig through a few boxes but I have black and white family photos somewhere. Weather watcher Dan Hein of Camas posted a photo of himself and siblings playing in the snow in 1955 on his Facebook page.

Some areas of the county had a little snow on the ground a few days before Thanksgiving in 2010, the last time snowflakes fell in November. Keep warm, and we will chat on Thursday.

Patrick Timm is a local weather specialist. His column appears Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Reach him at patricktimm.com.

Related Stories