Winter storm could bring snow and freezing rain to Portland, Salem, Eugene
A potentially serious winter storm could bring snow and freezing rain to the Willamette Valley from Friday afternoon into Saturday, according to the National Weather Service in Portland.
The system has the potential to not only create dangerous travel for an extended period but also knock out power by bringing down tree branches.
“At the moment, (widespread power outages) aren’t out of the question in our higher-end scenarios,” NWS meteorologist Jonathan Liu said.
Uncertainty remains because just a few degrees can make a big difference in what shows up, Liu stressed.
Currently, the most likely scenario shows:
Snow in the Portland metro area, Columbia Gorge and at the northern Oregon Coast.
A mixture of snow and freezing rain from roughly Salem south into Eugene, with the greatest concern about ice in the Albany and Corvallis areas.
Blizzard conditions at Cascade mountain pass levels Thursday through Sunday with wind chills as low as minus 25 degrees.
Freezing temperatures from Friday into Monday or Tuesday.
Snow in Portland and difficult travel in Gorge
Widespread snow is expected in Portland and the surrounding areas, with anywhere from 1 to 8 inches of snow forecast. Travel could be difficult particularly in the Columbia River Gorge and I-84 due to high winds that could bring down trees, also resulting in local power outages.
“It’s shaping up to look like a typical Portland snow storm — they don’t happen every year but they’re also not uncommon,” Liu said. He said 1-3 inches of snow was most likely.
Snow and freezing rain from Salem to Eugene
The most complicated forecast centers on the central and southern Willamette Valley, where heavy “mixed precipitation” could bring 1 to 6 inches of snow but also up to a quarter-inch of ice from freezing rain.
Freezing rain is notoriously difficult to forecast due to the narrow temperatures required to make it happen, but under the current forecast, the worst ice is forecast for Albany and Corvallis, while somewhat lighter impact would be forecast for Salem and Eugene, Liu said.
The time period of the event is currently about 3 or 4 p.m. on Friday into midday on Saturday.
“Our main period of concern is Friday night and early Saturday morning,” Liu said. “It should be mostly done by midday Saturday. The problem is that beyond that, temperatures are expected to stay very cold and below freezing. That could leave ice on any roads that haven’t been treated and lead to really slippery conditions on roads.”
Extreme snow continues in Cascade mountains into early Sunday
A winter storm warning has been issued for Oregon’s mountains above 3,000 feet, mostly impacting Santiam Pass (Highway 20), Willamette Pass (Highway 58) and the Government Camp area on Mount Hood (Highway 26).
The warning lasts from Thursday into Sunday morning and could bring 2 to 4 feet of snow along with strong winds that could lead to whiteout-type conditions.
“Travel could be very difficult,” the warning says. “Gusty winds could cause whiteout conditions at times and bring down tree branches, leading to power outages.”
Wind chills could drop to as low as 25 below zero, causing frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes, NWS said.
Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter in Oregon for 15 years and is host of the Explore Oregon Podcast. Urness is the author of “Best Hikes with Kids: Oregon” and “Hiking Southern Oregon.” He can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on Twitter at @ZachsORoutdoors.
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Storm could bring snow, freezing rain to Portland, Salem, Eugene
