🌧️ Portland’s next atmospheric river

Flood Warnings for Later in the Week

The National Weather Service has put all of Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington under a new flood watch, starting Thursday and going through Saturday. The heaviest rains are expected tomorrow, but it’s likely to rain every day this week. [Oregonian]

• Related: December has been so warm that flowers are blooming. There's still no snow in the mountains, though it’s possible later in the week. It’s also expected to get a little cooler in Portland on Friday. [Oregonian]

Oregon Working to Stay Christmas Tree Capital

Oregon sells more Christmas trees than any other state. And Oregon State scientists here are looking for ways to keep the state’s edge as the climate gets warmer and drier. They’ve brought in evergreen species from Eurasia that are proving drought-tolerant and pest-resistant; Nordmann fir and Turkish fir from Georgia and Turkey make up a growing percentage of Oregon Christmas trees. [Oregon Capital Chronicle]

New City Administrator Unanimously Confirmed

On the midweek roundup, the City Council unanimously confirmed Mayor Keith Wilson’s pick for new city administrator: Raymond Lee was previously the city manager of Greeley, Colo., a much smaller town — of 115,000 people. Wilson highlighted Lee’s initiative to create an entertainment and housing district in Greeley — a $1.1 billion project that broke ground only in September. [City Cast Portland 🎧]