Today: Today will be the metaphorical calm before the storm, although conditions won’t necessarily be calm, especially in regard to our winds. This morning, winds are relatively still and temperatures are chilly. Heading into the afternoon ahead of an approaching storm system, winds will really start to pick up in the Cascades and Basin. Winds in the Cascades could gust up to 30 mph, while it’ll be especially blustery in the Basin. Winds there could gust all the way up to 45 mph. The strong southwesterly winds will clear a lot of the smoke out of Curry, Josephine, and Jackson Counties later in the day, but should increase smoke coverage in Siskiyou, Klamath, and Lake Counties. Clouds will come and go throughout the day, but will really begin to build along the coast during the late afternoon. Temperatures will be slightly warmer today. Highs will be in the mid to upper-80s in our westside valleys, with low-80s in the Basin. It’ll be in the mid-70s along the Cascades, and in the mid-60s along the coast.

AN AIR QUALITY ALERT has been issued by the Oregon DEQ for Lake County until 5 PM Friday. This has been issued due to possible reductions in air quality with smoke continuing to pour into our region. Take cautions if spending time outdoors. This is especially true for anyone suffering from a respiratory illness.

Tonight: Clouds will thicken up across Southern Oregon and Northern California through the evening and overnight hours as the storm system to our north drifts closer to our region. A vast majority of Southern Oregon and Northern California will stay dry tonight with continued strong winds from the south and southwest. The one exception will be the coast and northern portions of the Cascades in our region. In these locations rainfall may begin during the overnight hours. Temperatures tonight will be a bit more mild than last night, falling into the low to mid 50s in our westside valleys with low to mid 40s east of the Cascades.

Extended: A band of moderate to even heavy rainfall will push into Southern Oregon Saturday starting with the coast and coastal mountains in the morning then working into the Rogue Valley in the afternoon. Most areas east of the Cascades and in Northern California will see the rain arrive Saturday night into Sunday. Sunday will be a damp and cool day across the region with widespread showers impacting most places. Highs will be in the 50s and 60s for much of the region. As of now, rainfall totals could exceed 1.5” along the coast, getting close to 1” in the Rogue Valley. East of the Cascades, rainfall totals should be between 0.5”-0.75”. Of course, these are just model projections, and these totals are subject to change.

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH has been issued for north-central and southeastern Siskiyou County from 2 PM on Saturday to 5 PM on Sunday. Moderate to heavy rainfall over the Whitney Glacier and Whitney Creek could create the potential for debris flow. This same risk exists along Highway 97 east of Lake Shastina and west of Tennant, including the Lava Burn Scar.

A WIND ADVISORY is in effect for eastern Klamath and Lake Counties from noon on Saturday until 11 PM Saturday night. Winds associated with the approaching storm system could blow from the southwest between 25-40 mph, with some gusts up to 50 mph. Be sure to secure any outdoor furniture/objects if you live in the aforementioned areas.

Monday will feature dry weather with decreasing clouds in our region. Both Monday and Tuesday morning will start off chilly with lows in the 40s and 30s. Daytime highs will rebound into Tuesday.

Stay updated on the StormWatch 12 forecast on-air and online.