PORTLAND — The National Weather Service says a cool unsettled weather pattern is taking hold of Southwest Washington and Northwest Oregon.

And there is a possibility this week that the lowest snow levels will be on us — since January or early February.

The Weather Service says snow levels lowered to around 1,000 feet in the South Washington Cascades to around 2,500 or 3,000 feet near Willamette Pass this morning.

Another series of systems will move through the Pacific Northwest Tuesday through Wednesday.

And on Wednesday, this unusual cold spell for late March will likely see snow levels well below 1,000 feet into Thursday.

The Cascades could see heavy snow Tuesday night and Wednesday with amounts exceeding a foot.

Big tree at Cape Perpetua is not big enough

YACHATS — The numbers are in.

Cape Perpetua may have a giant tree, but it’s not wide enough to beat out a competitor at Cape Meares to be named Oregon’s reigning “champion” sitka.

The 206-foot Picea sitchensis at Cape Perpetua is 60 feet taller than the “Octopus Tree” at Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint, but it lacks enough girth to move into champion status.

“I think the circumference is going to kill us,” said Paul Meznarich, manager of the visitor center at Perpetua. “I thought we could contend.”

The race has been on for a new champion since this winter when the state’s largest living creature and national co-champion Sitka spruce tree, near Cannon Beach, got smacked with a severe storm.

Arborists measured the Cape Perpetua tree at 34 1/2 feet in circumference, with a crown spread of 96 feet by 54 feet. Along with its 206 feet of height, that gave the giant 634 points on a scale developed by American Forests. But that’s 109 points less than the Octopus.

If the trees had been within 5 points of each other, they’d have been named co-champions.

Locals can be consoled that Lincoln County remains the home of four other champion trees. The state’s largest Oregon crab apple, California hazelnut, American ash and Pacific willow all have put down roots on the central coast.

The rankings are largely symbolic, being a state champion tree doesn’t earn it any special protection, but the stats do appeal to Oregonians curious about what’s biggest.

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Information from: The Register-Guard, http://www.registerguard.com