Could get sloppy in Sisters Country

That winter wonderland we experienced over Thanksgiving is turning sloppy this week.

A winter storm that dropped several inches of snow across the region on Tuesday, November 23, left Sisters wrapped in a mantle of white through Thanksgiving, thanks to frigid temperatures that plunged into the single digits and below zero in some spots.

But that mantle of white will slough away under warmer temperatures and rain showers this week. Weather forecasts call for daytime temperatures in the mid-40s, with rain showers likely on Wednesday and Thursday.

Hoodoo Ski Area didn't get quite enough snow to open last week, but Mt. Bachelor opened over Thanksgiving weekend. Winter sports enthusiasts and irrigators alike are hoping for more snowfall than the region got last winter.

The outlook for December from NOAA's Climate Prediction Center calls for near to above normal temperatures and near to above normal precipitation. Normal highs for Sisters fall from 41 degrees at the start of December to 39 degrees at the end of December. Normal lows fall from 23 degrees to 22 degrees. The 30-year normal precipitation is 1.97 inches.

It remains to be seen what effect a strong El Niño will have this winter.