The latest in a string of atmospheric rivers is due to hit Lane County Thursday, Dec. 18, with forecasters predicting at least 2 to 3 inches of rain — potentially twice that in some areas — and triggering a flood watch for northwest Oregon.
Forecasters also expect high winds beginning Tuesday night, with gusts possibly reaching 60-70 mph along the coast and 45 mph in the Willamette Valley. The winds, combined with wet soil conditions, could knock down trees and lead to isolated power outages, forecasters said.
Thursday’s atmospheric river — essentially a long band of concentrated moisture that moves through the air like a river in the sky — is similar to one that flowed into the Pacific Northwest last week, but with an important difference for residents of the southern Willamette Valley: While last week’s event mostly hammered areas north of the Columbia River, this one is headed more to the south, said Lee Picard, a meteorologist in the Portland office of the National Weather Service…