Light snow in the forecast

Dick Mason, The Observer, La Grande, Ore.
·2 min read

Nov. 22—LA GRANDE — Union and Wallowa counties haven't seen any measurable snowfall so far as Thanksgiving looms, but that could change this week.

The National Weather Service is reporting that snow is likely in La Grande and Enterprise on Tuesday, Nov. 23, and on Thursday, Nov. 25.

Snow is likely in La Grande before 10 a.m. on Nov. 23. In the afternoon, the snow level will rise to 3,300 feet, 505 feet higher than La Grande. There is a chance of less than a half an inch of accumulation of snow.

The National Weather Service is forecasting that on Thanksgiving Day there is a slight chance that La Grande will have snow before 10 a.m. The snow level above La Grande is projected to be 5,900 feet in the afternoon.

The National Weather Service is forecasting a 50% chance of snow in Enterprise on Nov. 23 before 4 p.m. There is a possibility of accumulation of one half an inch. No additional snow is expected through at least Nov. 28.

Joe Solomon, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Pendleton, said it is not unusual for the region not to have snow this late in November.

"We are just entering the snow season," he said.

Solomon said the primary reason La Grande and Enterprise have not received any extensive snowfall is that the weather systems hitting this region have come from the Pacific Ocean, which has relatively warm air. Solomon said Northeastern Oregon receives significant snow when weather systems from Canada, which have cooler air, begin hitting the region.

La Grande and Enterprise are expected to have cool weather the next three days. La Grande is forecast to have a high of 42 degrees and a low of 26 on Nov. 23, a high of 39 and a low of 21 on Nov. 24, and a high of 43 and a low of 31 on Thanksgiving Day. The National Weather Service projects Enterprise will have a high of 39 and a low of 17 on Nov. 23, a high of 39 and a low of 21 on Nov. 24, and a high of 43 and low of 30 on Nov. 25.