According to the National Weather Service, a wintry mix of precipitation is predicted to transition to snow in the evening, and the Portland area is under a winter storm watch from Friday afternoon into Saturday.
According to Portland office forecaster Jon Liu, residents of Portland should probably anticipate one to two inches of snow falling to the valley floor over night, with slightly greater totals in neighborhoods with higher elevations where the transition to full snow is expected to happen sooner.
As of Thursday afternoon, the prediction was for freezing rain in the southern Willamette Valley and a 5% to 15% possibility of 6 inches or more in the metro region. However, the meteorological service warned that the central valley will receive the majority of the snowfall, with the Portland region, Hood River, and Columbia River Gorge possibly receiving little to none.
The chart below provides information on the elevation of your neighborhood and the likelihood of increased accumulation. Use the dropdown menu to see whether areas of Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas counties are above particular heights, or enter an address to find the elevation.
(Can’t see the map? Click here.)
Portland could see snow if a bigger weather system moving in from the west collides with a mass of frigid arctic air that is pushing into the city. The amount of snow would depend on how far south the impending low pressure system tracks, so the prognosis was still unclear Thursday afternoon.
The meteorological service issued a warning about the high likelihood of blizzard or near-blizzard conditions in the Columbia River canyon and around the canyon mouth in Troutdale, Fairview, and north Gresham from Friday night through Saturday, should snow actually fall on the metro region. 50 to 60 mph wind gusts are anticipated.
Anyone planning a trip? The weather service advised people to either reevaluate or closely monitor the forecast and travel conditions from Friday night through Saturday night.
Forecasters predict highs in the 20s for the Portland area and the 20s to low 30s as far south as Eugene, though it’s unclear how far south the lowest temperatures will extend.
By Sunday morning, the area should see less precipitation, but Sunday through Tuesday will be chilly, with highs staying below freezing, nightly lows in the teens, and wind chills in the low single digits in the eastern portion of the metro area.
The weather service predicts 6 to 12 inches on Saturday and 7 to 13 inches on Friday at Government Camp in the Cascades. On Sunday, little to no snow accumulation is anticipated there.
Ted Sickinger
