More snow expected Friday and into the weekend

It has been a strange winter so far. To this point in the season, Portland is still about 5 inches above normal in snowfall, which may seem odd to you. The reason is most of it came in November.

Expected snowfalls Friday (National Weather Service map)

The biggest storm was only 8.3 inches, and that was way back on Nov. 20 before Thanksgiving.

As of late though, we’ve been dealing with smaller snow events with many rain/snow/ice lines. Both December and half of January only yielded 12.9 inches of snow in Portland, which combined, is less than the entire month of November.

Outdoor winter enthusiast have been asking, where’s the snow? If you’re a skier, snowboarder, or someone who likes to ride snowmobiles, you’re probably going to like the forecast. However, there is a possible change to sleet late in the weekend.

The pattern will stay quiet through Thursday. The first of two storms will arrive Friday. That one will not be a blockbuster, but it should be enough to bring the plows out.

The second storm should bring a longer duration, and potential for heavier snow.

The time frame is Saturday night through Sunday.

On paper, it looks to be the biggest of the season so far. It’s still pretty far out, so we’ll need to see how the forecast evolves in the coming days. A change to sleet is on the table too.

Here’s an early look at timing:

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However, five to six days out, many questions remain. We still need to nail down the strength, track, and if there will be any mixing. A change to sleet and freezing rain is a real possibility especially south and at the coast.

So what can we take away from all of this on Tuesday?