Light freezing rain on tap for Gorge and Hood River areas?
PORTLAND, Ore. - After several days of cold but clear and windy weather, a small weather system is making it's way into the Northwest and could bring freezing rain to some areas.
KATU Meteorologist Rhonda Shelby said it's possible the small disturbance could bring freezing rain to the Columbia River Gorge and Hood River Valley areas, but if it happens, there won't be much rain to freeze.
"It's going to be a really relatively small area that sees any freezing rain if any at all today," Shelby said. "It looks like it's just the Gorge and Hood River Valley that will see the possibility of freezing rain" since most other areas will be above the freezing mark when the rain arrives, Shelby said.
Shelby said that if the rain does materialize, it will only be about .02 of an inch. However, that's enough to cause slick conditions on roadways.
"There may be isolated icy spots that don’t get much sun during the day that could stay below 32 degrees west of the Gorge that could see black ice," Shelby said. "This would include spots in the coast range. However, most travel troubles will be in the frozen Gorge."
- Check ODOT road updates
- Complete KATU Storm Tracker forecast
- KATU Storm Tracker satellite images page - updated
Going forward, Rhonda said there are no large storms in the forecast but conditions will continue to be on the cool side but above freezing west of the Cascades. Dry conditions are expected on Friday.
Watch a forecast update from Rhonda:
Icy and lots of police and tow trucks on downtown Troutdale as of about 15 minutes ago. People are unable to walk from home to home heading out toward Corbett. Waiting for a call from my dad to make sure he made it home.
We are at 37 and have had Freezing rain/snow mixture along with re-freezing mud puddles . A1Iknowticed to the west incoming clouds , we went shopping at 12:30 It started to cloud over, it was clouding over and I was worried by 1:00PM we arrived home, by 13:35 we had freezing rain and snow and ever since we have had freezing rain and snow mix on and off.. at 8;00 pm we had some freezing rain and snow..all of this has been light.
Right now (11:20 AM) there's a freezing rain front just south and a bit west of Salem and heading north with just a hint of an easterly trend. Not much, but forming up.
 @Gravity Works! Yeah, everything liquid outside my house has been frozen for days. If it rains, it's going to be ice. (SE Gresham)
@Lips @Gravity Works! Huh...I live in NE Gresham off Stark and nothing frozen here at all :( Weather is sure strange.
 @fracas  @Lips  @Gravity We have a hill here in my area that for the last 2 years has had snow on it nearly the entire winter. it is weird.
@Lips @Gravity Oh I sure do!! I've lived here for 38 years :) I know Tower Hill also...and that's why you have the frosties :) You're up just high enough to have it...it's one of my favorite places BTW :)
 @fracas  @Lips  @Gravity I'm in a weird spot. Do you know where Walters Hill is?
 @fracas  @Lips  @Gravity And weatherpersons (have to be PC) are 98% correct, 2% of the time.