Snow expected to stick at 1,000 ft.; mix in valley

By Bill Roberson, Steve Benham KATU.com Published: Dec 28, 2010 at 1:57 PM PDT Last Updated: Dec 29, 2010 at 12:46 AM PDT
Snow expected to stick at 1,000 ft.; mix in valley

PORTLAND, Ore. – KATU Meteorologist Dave Salesky says snow will likely accumulate one to two inches at 1,000 feet overnight. There may be some rain and snow mix on the valley floor with little or no accumulation.

He said showers will taper off late Wednesday morning and the sun may appear in the afternoon. Highs will still only be in the upper 30s to low 40s.

There may be some flooding in the southern parts of the Willamette Valley. The National Weather Service issued a Flood Warning for Tuesday night to late Wednesday night (or until it is canceled) for the Siuslaw River near Mapleton in Lane County and the Luckiamute River in Benton and Polk counties.

Salesky says the heavy rain on Tuesday has loosened up soil and there may be some rock- and landslide issues.

The National Weather Service's Winter Weather Advisory for the greater Portland metro area, the Coast Range and Northern Oregon from midnight Tuesday to 4 p.m. Wednesday, remains in effect, however.

In the Cascades, a Winter Storm Warning will be in effect until 4 p.m. Wednesday as well. Salesky says to expect about two feet of snow in the Cascades through Wednesday and about six inches in the Coast Range. Heavy snow was reported by a freelance news photographer to be falling on Highway 26 in the Coast Range late Tuesday night .

By midnight it will be a rain-snow mix in Portland before snow begins to accumulate around the 1,000-foot level overnight. It will be mostly dry by Wednesday afternoon.

On Tuesday, the story was the rain. The rain gauge registered over .82 inches in Portland since midnight Monday. In Salem it was 1.50 inches and Newport was soaked with over 2.72 inches.

South of Seaside flooding on Highway 101 caused some problems Tuesday morning for motorists. By the afternoon the roadway was clear of water.

City prepares for storm

Portland city leaders said they've learned their lesson from the last two winters, so Tuesday night they say they're ready if snow or ice becomes a major problem.

ODOT and city leaders said they aren't taking any chances after admitting they were caught off guard in 2008 and 2009.

ODOT is staffing four people at its Sylvan maintenance yard Tuesday night and crews will be out patrolling the roads if all the rain starts to freeze. But they said the job is only half theirs, the other half is the public’s.

“Half of this is going to be on ODOT to keep the roads clear,” said Brad Wurfel, with the Oregon Department of Transportation. “We stand ready to do that, but we also need the public’s help to pay very close attention to what the weather is doing and how that’s impacting the roads and make decisions accordingly.”

The Portland Office of Emergency Management recommends motorists keep an emergency kit in their trunks. They say having simple things like gloves, boots, blankets and food could save lives if people get stuck.

City transportation crews and TriMet say they’ll only be checking the weather to see if they need to do something.

KATU News reporter Adam Ghassemi contributed to this report.

Watch the latest forecast, 11:45 p.m.:

 

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UPDATE: Around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday the National Weather Service in Portland issued a winter weather advisory for snow. The snow advisory is in effect from midnight Tuesday night until 4 p.m. Wednesday.

In Northeast Oregon and Southeast Washington, the National Weather Service in Pendleton has issued its own winter storm warning. That warning calls for "heavy snow" beginning 10 p.m. Tuesday and continuing through 10 a.m. Thursday.

PORTLAND, Ore. – Enjoy the rain while you can.

Colder temperatures are coming Tuesday night into Wednesday and the threat of a bit of snow for lower elevations is possible, according to KATU Meteorologist Dave Salesky.

"Late this afternoon, we'll see a sudden and rapid drop in temperatures. As early as 6 p.m. expect reports of snow in the coast range," Salesky said in an email sent Tuesday afternoon before he arrived for his evening shift at KATU News.

Salesky said that after 9 p.m. outlying areas such as Sandy, Woodland, Estacada ,Banks and other upper-elevation locations could start seeing snow. Showers of a rain/snow mix will arrive in Portland this evening and the West Hills could get sticking snow overnight.
 
Don't be surprised to see an inch or so of snow on lawns and sidewalks Wednesday, but don't expect it to last. Daytime highs are expected to remain well above freezing through the next week, melting any snow that falls.
And as of now, New Years Eve weather should remain chilly but dry, according to Salesky. "We might have another chance of low elevation snow showers on Thursday," he said. After Thursday, high pressure over the area should keep the rain and snow away for a while.
 
Salesky said commuters may see snow on lawns and sidewalks Wednesday morning but roadways should remain clear in the metro area, except possibly in upper elevation areas such as the West Hills and other areas above 500 feet.
 
If it snows, be sure to bookmark these helpful links: 

Skiers and snowboarders should be thrilled: the cold temperatures should bring some fresh powder to Cascade ski resorts.