Snow melts away, now bitter cold is on the way

By KATU.com Staff Published: Feb 22, 2011 at 6:19 PM PDT Last Updated: Feb 24, 2011 at 1:49 PM PDT
Snow melts away, now bitter cold is on the way »Play Video
Kids playing in snow here in Clatskanie,Oregon. Photo submitted by Ellen Gray

Watch the latest KATU Storm Tracker forecast and check out a list of helpful weather links at the bottom of this page. Click on the GALLERY tab above to see viewer photos!

PORTLAND, Ore. – Snow finally worked its way into the Portland metro area Thursday morning after stalling north of the city for most of Wednesday.

Snow showers were reported falling in coastal locations and up into the Cascades.

Heavier snow started falling early Thursday morning, making roads slick throughout the Portland/Vancouver metro area. A Winter Storm Warning remains in effect for the region until 10 p.m. Thursday.

Sanding and snowplow crews were on task in the early morning hours in the Portland area and beyond, but officials warn many streets remain slick and drivers need to take conditions into account.

By noon, many Portland streets were clear of snow as temperatures rose well above freezing.

Most major highways had normal traffic and few problems were reported Thursday morning, but some onramps and overpasses remained slick as rain that fell before the snow froze and made road surfaces deceptively slippery. Snow on Portland streets had melted for the most part by 11 a.m.

In Vancouver, garbage and recycling pickup were canceled for Thursday. Officials said Friday operations could be affected as well due to an expected hard freeze overnight.

School districts and other organizations began notifying KATU News of delays and closures as snow began to fall. Most large school districts around the region have closed for the day, including Portland Public Schools. Howver, some were merely delayed. Check the latest updated list here.

Matt Shelby with Portland Public Schools said all affliated school and offices were closed and all planned activities were canceled.

TriMet reports all their buses are chained up and are limited to 25mph, so arrivals will not be according to schedule and transit users can expect delays. MAX trains are running without any reported problems.

ODOT is requiring chains through Cascade mountain passes for trucks and large vehicles and that status could extend to all vehicles. Get ODOT updates here.

Cold air moved into the area as low pressure slowly slid down the coast, and KATU’s Storm Tracker Doppler Radar showed snow showers falling in Southwest Washington and in east Clark County and east Multnomah County at 11 p.m. Wednesday.

Snow showers began in the Portland area right around midnight and are expected to continue Thursday. Snow was falling across the region, including at the Oregon coast.

By mid-morning Thursday, sun was breaking through the clouds in the Portland area but snow showers are still possible after the noon hour even though the temperature will be above freezing in Portland.

Upper elevations could see more snow, depending on the location. Snow showers will likely be localized - some areas will get a lot of snow, others may get none.

KATU Meteorologist Rhonda Shelby says Thursday snow showers will likely increase in the afternoon before tailing off later in the evening, and she expects an inch to two inches of snow to accumulate on the valley floor with a little more in the higher elevations.

Thursday's high temperature will be 36 degrees but the mercury will plunge to near 20 degrees overnight, freezing any moisture on the ground.

The arctic air that was expected to invade the Portland-Vancouver area Wednesday afternoon and cause problems for evening commuters stalled just north of Seattle.

Low-elevation areas in Portland mostly experienced a snow-rain mix for most of the day Wednesday. There were even a few patches of blue sky from time to time Wednesday.

The cold weather will continue Friday and into the weekend. The low temperature overnight for Friday and Saturday will be 19 degrees. Icy conditions may cause problems for drivers. The high temperature will reach 34 on Friday and 37 on Saturday.

Up in the Cascades, ski resort operators were reporting between 14 and 17 inches of new snow overnight, replacing some of the snow that melted away during a warm stretch. Monica Cory said conditions at Skibowl were "epic" and runs would be open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Mayor Adams: We are prepared, you should be too

Portland Mayor Sam Adams and representatives of transportation agencies spoke at a 5:30 p.m. news conference Tuesday and reminded people to be prepared. They also said they are prepared for bad weather.

“We have the city fleet ready; we have up to 55 plows or sanding trucks standing by,” Adams said.

They are asking drivers to have a plan and use alternate routes, drive slower and have their cars stocked with supplies and provisions.

“As we saw in Chicago; as we see in the cities in the Northeast, and as we’ve seen here in the Portland area in times past, you can get stuck on a segment of freeway, you can get stuck on one of these hills and not move – and you’ll need that warm blanket; you’ll need some food to tide you over until things get moving again or we can get to you,” Adams said.

They also encouraged the use of public transportation over the next few days. According to TriMet, it had a portion of its bus fleet chained by the Wednesday evening commute and had the entire fleet chained up Thursday morning.

Since buses can only go 25 mph at the most while chained up, Josh Collins with TriMet said riders should check schedules before they leave by calling 238-RIDE or by going to TriMet.org. Smartphone and computer owners can also find apps that keep up with bus schedules and locations.

ODOT and PDOT encouraged people to carry chains or have snow tires, bring extra food and water, pack extra warm clothes, carry a cell phone with a car charger and have a full tank of gas.

In the state of Washington, officials said crews have been ready since last October, and they will be keeping an eye on conditions.

WSDOT crews said if they spot the early signs of frost on the roads soon enough they can usually get a crew on it with salt.

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