More moisture is on the way, according to a National Weather Service forecast, but with any luck, this storm should be short-lived.

The weather service has declared a winter storm watch for Central Oregon, starting this afternoon and running through Tuesday morning, said Mike Vescio, a meteorologist for the NWS in Pendleton.

Snow is likely for this afternoon, with up to 5 inches forecast for areas west of Highway 97 and up to 3 inches in Bend and Redmond, Vescio said. Rising temperatures could turn the snow to rain by Tuesday, but the weather service isn’t predicating any flooding.

”We are looking at a fair amount of water with this system,” Vescio said. ”Right now we don’t have any flood watches or advisories but we’ll certainly keep an eye on that.”

In all, the storm could bring the equivalent of half an inch of liquid precipitation, Vescio said. Closer to the Cascades, that number could reach an inch of precipitation, he said.

If it seems like this winter has been wetter than usual, that’s because it has been. Since Oct. 1, Roberts Field in Redmond has recorded 4.91 inches of precipitation, nearly two inches higher than the average precipitation of 2.95 inches.

After Tuesday, the forecast calls for cloudy skies with a chance of rain during the day, with a chance of snow showers at night, for the rest of the week, Vescio said. Highs will be in the mid-30s, with lows in the 20s, he said.

Snow showers at lower elevations could mean even heavier snow at Mt. Bachelor ski resort. The ski resort is slated to receive 6 inches of snow through tonight, an additional 5 inches through Tuesday night and more snow throughout the week, according to the weather service forecast. On Sunday afternoon the resort reported an 120-inch base, with 8 inches of fresh snow in the past 24 hours. Updated weather reports are available at www.mt bachelor.com.

Hoodoo Ski Area reported a 64-inch base on Sunday, with 6 inches of new snow over the past 24 hours. Weather information for the resort is available at www.hoodoo.com.