MEDFORD, OR – Clouds are thickening over the Rogue Valley this Friday morning as another Pacific system charges inland, setting up a wet and breezy weekend for southern Oregon. The region can expect several rounds of rain, gusty winds, and even a few rumbles of thunder through Sunday — classic late-October weather signaling the start of the winter transition.
According to the National Weather Service in Medford, rain will begin late Friday morning and continue through much of the weekend. Friday’s highs will reach near 70°F before cooling sharply as steady rainfall spreads across Jackson County. By Friday evening, southerly winds could gust near 20 mph, creating slick conditions for drivers along I-5, Route 62, and Highway 140.
Saturday brings the strongest system of the weekend. Rain will become widespread by midday, occasionally heavy, with a chance of embedded thunderstorms between late morning and afternoon. Temperatures will dip into the upper 50s as cooler marine air pushes inland. Mountain communities above 4,500 feet, including parts of the Cascades, could see the first light snow of the season, a reminder that winter is inching closer.
Showers linger into Sunday with cooler highs in the low 50s. By Monday, rainfall tapers and clouds begin to thin, allowing for a mild, partly sunny start to next week. Highs will rebound into the upper 50s before another weak front approaches midweek.
For now, the focus stays on the weekend storm — steady rain, gusty winds, and that unmistakable first taste of winter in the mountains. Keep rain gear handy, plan travel breaks carefully, and stay alert for standing water on rural roads through Sunday night.
