Oregon’s weather will begin to look a lot more normal for this time of year

Rain in the valley and snow in the mountains will be possible just about every day for the coming 10 days, bringing a much-needed shot of moisture during what’s supposed to be the state’s wettest month. Snow is also expected at pass levels, with 6 to 12 inches expected through Saturday. Driving could be a moderate challenge, with snow on the road, but no whiteout conditions are expected.

Oregon is already about 4 inches below normal rainfall since Oct. 1 — the beginning of the water year. November wasn’t too bad, recording 5.89 inches in Salem, compared to an average of 6.5 inches, but December has started dry.

November, December and January are our big rain months, so we should be seeing a lot of rain, and that’s what we will see in the coming week.

The more saturated weather will begin modestly, with an inch or less expected in the Willamette Valley through Saturday. But heavier rain is expected next week as multiple systems of varying degrees of potency sweep onshore.

Eugene is expected to get a few inches of rain through the weekend, with the weather service predicting between a quarter of an inch and half an inch each day. The area has an 80% chance of rain all weekend, and more heavy rain projected through next week.

As for the snow, the best chance for quality powder will be through Saturday, when a foot or slightly less will be possible. The weekend and next are likely to bring a mixture of rain and snow to pass levels, with the snow level bouncing between 4,000 and 6,000 feet, Rockey said.

The weather service shows the snow level for the Eugene area at 2,700 feet Friday and lowering at night to 1,900 after midnight into early Saturday, before rising again to 3,300 feet in the afternoon.

In general, none of the coming systems are expected to bring enough rain for flooding — at least that’s not projected yet. But it’ll be enough to keep the rivers and creeks flowing and the ground wet.