Rainy end to 2024 around the Pacific Northwest Tuesday

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- Wet weather returns to the Portland-Vancouver area as 2024 comes to an end Tuesday night.

Patchy early morning fog Tuesday will fade to mostly cloudy skies by the mid-morning hours. The gray skies will keep Willamette Valley temperatures in the mid-40s. Rain returns to the region after sunset as our next warm front arrives. Rain accumulation will amount to a tenth to a quarter-inch for much of the region by Wednesday evening.

Heavy rounds of snow will return tonight for the central Cascades. Some locations above 5,000 feet could see 6-12 inches of new snow. A Winter Weather Advisory is in place for tough road conditions for the central Oregon Cascade passes.

The surplus in wet weather has helped push Portland well above the average December rainfall total. December started off mostly dry, but the wet weather has helped end the year with more than an inch of the monthly average for Portland.

New Year's Day will be slightly drier, but a few light showers will remain across the afternoon. Temperatures will remain near average through the end of the week. A gradual warming trend will come with heavier rain by the weekend.