Portland, OR – Gray skies and a steady drizzle greet early travelers across the Willamette Valley this morning, as Thanksgiving week delivers its trademark Northwest rain. Windshield wipers beat a constant rhythm on I-5 and I-84, where slick roads and standing water are slowing traffic from downtown Portland through Gresham and Vancouver.
According to the National Weather Service, showers remain likely through Thanksgiving Day, with highs near 54°F and gusts up to 18 mph. Light southeast winds will shift south by midday, bringing scattered heavier pockets of rain during the afternoon. Drivers heading toward the coast or up into the Cascades should prepare for slower travel and brief visibility drops in heavier bursts.
Thursday night brings another round of widespread rain and gusts up to 23 mph, with totals between a quarter and half an inch possible. Rain tapers slightly by Friday, but lingering showers will keep streets slick and temperatures mild, around 54°F.
By Saturday, a weaker system brings only a slight chance of rain, and cooler air begins to settle in. Morning lows dip to the upper 30s, and patchy frost is possible in outlying areas by Sunday morning — the first hint of a winter chill spreading across the Pacific Northwest.
Nationally, a major Arctic front will begin pushing south by December 1, bringing heavy snow and below-normal temperatures across much of the northern U.S. While Portland escapes the snow for now, the early signs of winter are undeniable.
5-Day Outlook for Portland:
- Wednesday: Rain, high 52°F
- Thursday (Thanksgiving): Rain, high 54°F
- Friday: Rain likely, high 54°F
- Saturday: Slight rain chance, high 50°F
- Sunday: Mostly cloudy, high 49°F
