Weather or Not: A New Era
Wednesday, May 17th – Lincoln County
Summary: Spotty showers yesterday, mostly cloudy in the evening and overnight.
Past 24 Hours High/Low/Gust/Rain…
Lincoln City: 56F/50F/31mph/0.06”
Depoe Bay: 55F/49F/31mph/0.05”
Newport: 54F/46F/24mph/0.08”
Waldport: 54F/47F/19mph/0.05”
Yachats: 54F/49F/23mph/0.08”
Newport Airport Conditions…
Ceiling: broken @ 2,100’, overcast @ 3,100’
Visibility: 10 miles/Wind: WNW 6 mph/Altimeter: 30.19”
Forecast: A new weather era begins later today as the last of the precipitation fades away and we enter a period of dry and warmer conditions, the longest since last Fall. Partly sunny by this afternoon, light west winds and a high of 55-60F. Partly
cloudy tonight, low 45F. Tomorrow, some morning fog burning off to mostly sunny skies and highs of 55-60F. Outlook is for mainly clear, dry and warmer Friday through Tuesday; high temps in the 70s by Monday. Long range computer models are still showing dry conditions lasting through Memorial Day weekend.
Be sure to follow Weather or Not’s Twitter feed to keep current on the latest conditions. You’ll get updated travel info and notification of any new advisories, watches or warnings. Follow @chrisburnswx.
Travel: In the Coast Range this morning, highways are damp, temps 45-50F. Willamette Valley roads are wet, thermometer readings 45-50F. The Columbia River Gorge has wet pavement, temperatures 45-50F. For the Cascades, highways have packed snow and ice this morning, 30-35F, the snow level is 4,000 feet, 2-5 inches of snow possible in the passes, carry chains or tractions tires. * An interactive map of the latest Northwest/Central Oregon travel weather is available here. Also, motorists should always visit ODOT’s TripCheck before hitting the road.
Marine: Winds are WNW 10 knots this morning with seas 8 feet at 9 seconds. A Small Craft Advisory for 
hazardous seas remains in effect through 10:00am. Winds continue to weaken and will gradually back to the southwest late today then south by Thursday morning as a weakening front approaches the coast. High pressure will build over local waters Friday as a thermal trough strengthens over California. This will return north winds to the area, persisting through the weekend. The winds will become gusty in the afternoons, especially south of Cascade Head. Seas remain near 8-9 feet with a 9-10 second period so we’ll see steep seas for another few hours this morning. Like the winds, seas trend downward along with an increasing period. Seas will settle around 5-6 feet later tonight through the weekend. * Full text of the latest marine forecast is available here. And, make sure you check the latest Bar Reports before venturing offshore.
On the Beach… Partly sunny, breezy, surf 6-8’ feet (moderate).
* For a safe and enjoyable time on the Central Coast, the Oregon Parks & Recreation Department offers these Beach Safety Tips.
* Tides
05/17 Wed 11:30 AM 0.35 L
05/17 Wed 6:31 PM 6.28 H
05/17 Wed 11:53 PM 3.65 L
05/18 Thu 5:32 AM 6.37 H
In Short: Mixed skies, light wind, then dry, mostly clear and warmer.
