PORTLAND -- The National Weather Service predicts heavy rains on the way, with as much as five inches expected at the Oregon Coast, in the Coast Range and some areas of the Cascades.
Two inches of rain could fall in Portland, Southwest Washington and the Willamette Valley, according to a Special Weather Statement issued by the weather service.
The freezing level will be well above highway passes, meteorologists said.
The weather service also issued a high wind warning for the Oregon Coast, with gusts from the south possibly hitting 60 miles an hour.
The heavy rains should not lead to flooding, according to the weather service, but rivers and creeks will rise quickly.
A cold front arriving Friday afternoon should bring snow back to the Cascades for New Year's weekend, with slick conditions expected at pass levels.
Since Christmas, about five inches of fresh snow has fallen at Timberline Ski Resort. And at Mt Hood Meadows, there is a 41-inch base.
Officials at both ski areas said they're expecting and hoping for their snowpack amounts to double this week.
Courtesy KGW.com
