Weather Eye: After a break today, get ready for 2 days of heavy rain

We had a mixed bag around the state over the long Thanksgiving holiday. Wind and rain. Some sunshine. Snow in the mountains and east of the Cascades. Something for everyone.

Holiday travel over the mountains was fairly good the day before and after Thanksgiving. The freezing level bounced up and down. The lower passes weren’t too bad at times. And, did you watch the Apple Cup in Pullman Saturday evening?

It began with a chilly rain, then a mix of snow, and then some heavy bands of snow that turned the field white. That was the same vigorous cold front that went through Clark County earlier in the day.

We enjoy a break today, but be prepared for a fast and heavy period of rain Monday and Tuesday. Rainfall amounts could top 2-3 inches in some parts of Southwest Washington. We are still running way below average in the rainfall department for the month, usually one of the wettest of the year. As of Friday night, we were running about three inches below average.

After wet days early in the week, things slow down for the end of the week with a chance of light rain or showers but no defined weather fronts. That’s the early outlook, but things could change.

Do you have a weather watcher in your family or perhaps on your holiday shopping list? There are so many electronic gadgets available in stores locally and online. Any weather geek would like a weather station or perhaps a hand-held wind gauge to measure the east wind at Crown Point!

A must for everyone is a weather radio. Be sure to get one with an alert feature that will sound off when inclement weather or national emergencies arise. The radio broadcasts the local weather information and conditions from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The Portland office of the National Weather Service provides our information for Clark County. The radios cost between $25 and $75, depending on their features and portability.

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