The National Weather Service Portland: Fall Weather Preview

We spoke with Laurel McCoy, meteorologist for the National Weather Service Portland, about what we can expect for the fall in Portland.

Patch: Are there any interesting variables people should look out for regarding the upcoming weather?

Laurel McCoy: We aren’t seeing anything right now that we should keep an eye on. The one thing that we saw in the past, the one thing that we’ll keep an eye out for is if we see one of those persistent ridging patterns that we saw a few years ago.

Patch: What will be some key differences in weather from October vs. November this year in Portland?

Laurel McCoy: October is the transition month where we go from the the milder temperatures of fall to the cooler temperatures of winter. Some years, it’s a pretty drastic switch and other years it’s more gradual. In November, we stay pretty steady in that late fall weather pattern where it’s rain almost every day, highs in the 50s. Then we have those systems that run through that dump a ton of rain.

Patch: How much rain do you expect this year compared to a typical fall?

Laurel McCoy: We’re thinking right now, there’s not a good signal in this type of pattern [as to] whether we’ll see above or below normal. It may start out a little bit milder. We won’t see as much rain as we saw last December. November/December will probably be right around normal.

Patch: How will what happens in the fall this year affect the upcoming winter?

Laurel McCoy: We may lean toward a better winter. It’s going to be a pretty good winter with snow back in the mountains, a couple of cold spells across the area. As far as the fall, some years it can establish a good base for a snow pack. We’ll get some snow up in the mountains. We don’t get a good base for a snow pack until December, January.

Patch: It’s a ways off, but any general weather tips for Halloween?

Laurel McCoy: On average, we typically see a rainy Halloween. Last year it was really rainy. It’s the time and the season.