Winter storm warning issued by NWS for Portland metro, Willamette Valley
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- A storm expected to snow and ice has stalled out over the Pacific Ocean, leading to timing for snow to start more on Saturday, as officials also warn about the potential for a flash freeze Friday evening, the National Weather Service announced on Friday morning.
The National Weather Service in Portland has placed Portland and much of the northern Willamette Valley under a Winter Storm Warning. This goes into effect from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday. Not only will Portland see accumulative snow Saturday, but winds will also be gusting to nearly 60 mph. That brings the potential for blizzard conditions for the eastern Portland metro area on Saturday afternoon and Sunday, according to the NWS alert. A blizzard warning is issued when blowing or falling snow is happening with winds sustained at 35 mph and visibility is reduced to a quarter mile or less for at least three hours.
Temperatures are dropping and are expected to continue plummeting Friday as east winds ramp up, with the strongest winds in the Columbia River Gorge and eastern Portland metro area by Friday evening. Temperatures could drop into the teens Friday evening in Portland.
A flash freeze is also possible where roads are wet from rain.
Saturday Morning
On Saturday morning, the greater Portland and Vancouver metro areas will see snow start to fall as extremely cold east winds continue to gust, with some gusts expected to hit 50 mph. Snow could arrive as soon as 7 a.m., but could also arrive by 9 a.m.
In the Willamette Valley, freezing rain is expected south of Salem. The Oregon Coast is also expected to get mainly freezing rain, with the exception of mainly snow for the southern Washington coast and the North Oregon Coast.
The mountains are expected to see moderate amounts of snow with strong winds, but the Gorge could see potential blizzard conditions.
Saturday Afternoon/Evening
Snowy and cold conditions will continue in the greater Portland and Vancouver metro areas, while places south of Salem will see freezing rain in the Willamette Valley. Mainly freezing rain conditions will continue on the coast, with the exception of the North Coast area, which will see snow.
"Blizzard conditions likely" in the Gorge, while the mountains will see lingering snow.
Sunday Morning
Precipitation is expected to end by Sunday morning and the east winds will start to weaken; however, any snow or freezing rain accumulation is expected to stick around as extremely cold temps linger through early next week.
How much snow?
Models are still putting out different amounts of snow in Portland, with current projections between 2 inches and 6 inches on all four of the major models; meanwhile, it could be 0.5 inches to 0.8 inches of freezing rain in Salem southwards through the rest of the Willamette Valley for Saturday.