Columbia County Emergency Management and several local emergency responders participated in a conference call this afternoon with the National Weather Service. They are predicting some strong storms for the weekend as a low-pressure front camps off of Puget Sound and causes the jet stream to hold over NW Oregon and SW Washington. During this time, three storm fronts (starting tonight and the strongest coming Saturday night-Sunday) will swing our way.
Potentials for this weekend include:
* Coast Range/West side of Columbia County--high winds (up to 40-50 MPH) Saturday night and Sunday and total weekend rainfall from 2-5 inches. Wind forecast may change for the good or bad, so please monitor later forecasts for further information.
* Valleys/Eastern side of Columbia County--gusts up to 30-35 MPH at times Saturday night and Sunday and total weekend rainfall of 1-2 inches.
* Potential for a second low to form over SW Washington that may create strong winds even in the valleys Sunday night--check for later forecasts.
* Heavy rains may occur at times. It is possible that the National Weather Service will issue flash flood watches/warnings at times this weekend. The good news is that local rivers are at low levels, so river flooding is unlikely.
Please note that this is a prediction from the National Weather Service based on scientific research, not a foregone conclusion. Updates on weather watches and warnings will be posted to our online networks.
Thanks,
Columbia County Emergency Management
Thanks,
Columbia County Emergency Management
