Cold Blast Coming to Northwest (VIDEO)

A dip in the jet stream this weekend will allow Arctic air to spill southward from British Columbia, bringing significantly lower temperatures to much of the West Coast.

Video and images courtesy: Accuweather.com

(SALEM, Ore.) - Bitterly cold air is driving southward along the Rockies this weekend. Weather forecasters say cold air will also push southward along the Pacific Coast late in the weekend into next week and may spark snow showers over some valley locations of California.

Oregon could see the coldest day in three years on Monday. Winds Saturday will be mild for the most part with a few 15 mph gusts, expect a High: of 44°F with a daytime low temperature of 35°F expected, and a low of 31°F. Saturday will be mostly cloudy with a passing shower in the afternoon. Saturday night expect considerable cloudiness and cold with a shower in spots.

Sunday will see a high of 42 °F but forecasters say it will seem more like 37 °F or so. The day will be chilly with sunshine and patchy clouds. Sunday night is when temperatures are expected to drop to 25 °F, forecasters say that will feel more like 16 °F under a cold moonlit sky.

Expect more of the same on Monday with a high temperature of 42 °F and an even colder overnight low of 21 °F which they say will feel more like 14 °F.

A slight warming trend should kick in by Tuesday.

High pressure over the Great Basin will give most of the region a break from Pacific storms through Sunday, while a series of Arctic air masses pushing into the Plains sparks episodes of snow in the Rockies through the weekend.

Residents east of the Divide in Montana and Wyoming are already feeling the blast from the Arctic. Up to a couple of feet of snow fell on portions of the Black Hills of South Dakota and the Bighorns of Wyoming Friday.

A dip in the jet stream this weekend will allow Arctic air to spill southward from British Columbia this weekend, bringing significantly lower temperatures to much of the West Coast, beginning Sunday in the Northwest and in California Monday.

Overnight temperatures Sunday and Monday in Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington, will dip well down into the 20s, while the thermometer reading in Spokane, Wash. Monday and Tuesday may struggle to reach 20 degrees during the daytime.

The cold shot Sunday and Monday could be accompanied by strong winds over 50 mph through the passes in the Cascades and the Columbia Gorge.

Coastal rain showers with snow showers in the Cascades are likely Saturday into Sunday, ahead of the blast. Another dose of moderate to heavy powdery snow will press southward through the Rockies Saturday night into Monday, as the fresh batch of cold air arrives. The Severe Weather Center has cold and snow related watches and warnings in effect for the Northwest.

West Coast Expert Meteorologist Ken Clark reports a cold storm system will reach California Monday and Tuesday. This link will take you to the Salem area forecast: Accuweather.com Salem Forecast

Snow showers are expected to occur at low elevations in central and Southern California, perhaps in Sacramento and Fresno. While snow is expected in the Sierra, heavy amounts are not anticipated.

While night time temperatures next week will likely reach the 30s over interior southern California, freezing conditions or frost may be very limited due to a fetch of air from the Pacific Ocean.

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Source: Accuweather.com