Dry, clear and cold conditions in Portland and throughout the Pacific Northwest are likely to continue for at least another week.
David Bishop is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. He said despite some light rain expected to fall Thursday night into Friday, the weather will probably stay cold and dry for the foreseeable future.
“People should be aware of the cold temperatures,” Bishop said. “You could potentially have pipes burst. Keep an eye out for your friends, your relatives and whatnot that might not necessarily have the best heating systems available.”
Bishop also recommends bringing your outside pets inside, as temperatures can drop well below freezing overnight.
As of Tuesday, the Portland area has seen 2.17 inches of rainfall. Despite the continual dry weather, this year’s precipitation totals are still higher than the record.
According to Bishop, January 1985 holds the record for the driest January in Portland, with a total of 0.06 inches of rainfall recorded. Last year, Portland saw 5.94 inches of rainfall in January.
Bishop said these numbers reflect precipitation totals recorded from Jan. 1 to Jan. 21 at the Portland International Airport.
Meanwhile, Bishop said the state’s snowpack levels for the year remain relatively healthy so far.