Cooler Weather Moves In, But Roseburg Still Stays Warm as Thunderstorm Pattern Develops

Roseburg is finally getting a break from the worst of the heat, but it is not exactly cooling off.

The National Weather Service in Medford says the high pressure that brought the recent stretch of hot weather has moved east. In its place, a weak trough offshore will influence the region through Saturday, bringing slightly cooler temperatures and a chance of thunderstorms across parts of southern Oregon and northern California.

For Roseburg, temperatures are expected to stay warm today, likely reaching the mid to upper 90s. That is a little warmer than Wednesday, as a thermal trough moves inland, but the overall trend will be cooler heading into Friday and Saturday.

Forecasters said afternoon highs will still run above normal, but not as extreme as earlier this week. Instead of being 15 to 25 degrees above normal, temperatures are expected to settle closer to 5 to 10 degrees above normal. Saturday looks to be the coolest day before temperatures begin climbing again Sunday and early next week.

The bigger weather concern will be thunderstorms.

The best chance for storms today is expected south of the Oregon-California border, mainly across Siskiyou and Modoc counties. For Friday, thunderstorm chances increase across northern California and east of the Cascades, with some storms possibly pushing as far west as parts of Jackson and Josephine counties.

Roseburg is not expected to be in the main thunderstorm area, but the pattern is worth watching. Storms that do develop could bring lightning, small hail and strong outflow winds of 30 to 40 mph. Some storms may be a mix of wet and dry, which raises fire weather concerns where lightning occurs over dry fuels.

A Fire Weather Watch is in effect for several fire weather zones in southern Oregon and northern California from late tonight through Friday night, depending on location.

For Roseburg and much of Douglas County, the main takeaway is a slight cool down after the recent heat, but still warm afternoons, dry conditions and a broader regional thunderstorm pattern that could create fire weather concerns nearby.

Looking ahead, temperatures are expected to start climbing again Sunday, with a more noticeable warmup possible Monday and Tuesday. Forecasters said parts of the Rogue Valley could flirt with triple digits again early next week.