Rain and snow dominate Friday

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – You're waking up to rain and going to bed with rain Friday. And now I can't get these lyrics out of my head:

"Rain drops keep falling on my head. But that doesn't mean my eyes will soon be turning red,
Crying's not for me, 'Cause I'm never gonna stop the rain by complaining."

B.J. Thomas

Whether you like the rain or not it's here for us Friday and several days beyond. A series of systems are lined up for the Pacific Northwest through the middle of next week.

Rainfall totals for Friday alone include a 0.50" of rain for Portland. That's after picking up 0.25" of rain in Portland Thursday. Be ready for ponding on roadways during heavier showers. Forecast models are still advertising upwards of 5" of rain for a 5-day period Friday through Tuesday. Thanks, atmospheric river aka Pineapple Express.

You'll notice the increase in temperatures Friday. Morning temperatures start in the low 40's and afternoon temps rise to 50°. Consider that Portland only reached a high of 40° on Thursday - that's 10° below the normal high. So, no, there will be no more opportunities to see snow in the lower foothills after Friday. Every day gets a little warmer. That river of moisture coming from Hawaii will help boost our temps to the upper 50's by Sunday. Not a good deal for snow lovers.

Let's talk about snow. A winter storm warning is in effect for the Cascades Friday morning through Saturday night for elevations above 3,000 feet. That's going to affect all of your mountain passes. Friday's significant weather dumps ten to 30" inches of accumulating snow on mountain areas with strong wind gusts reducing visibility. Going up higher? Be aware up to 40" inches of snow is in the forecast for locations above 4,500', i.e., ski resorts and higher passes like Willamette Pass.

Here's what you missed Thursday. Rain, rain, rain and snow sticking to lower foothills.