Snow, sleet, and freezing temperatures reached the Portland area late Thursday, and winter conditions persisted Friday morning. And things may just be getting started.
A winter storm warning for the Portland area was set to expire at noon, but was extended through Saturday night, warning residents of a barrage of winter precipitation, high winds and ice.
Here’s a rundown of what weather experts say about the snow when the weekend starts:
National weather service in Portland
The National Weather Service in Portland tweeted that Friday nights and Saturday were the most likely time to expect icy rain or snow for parts of northwestern Oregon. On the map below, they’ve listed Portland in “Zone 3,” which should be cold enough for snow in “amounts between two and eight inches.” In the same Twitter thread, NWS Portland says there is potential for a significant ice storm “somewhere between Salem and Portland” from Friday afternoon to Saturday morning.
KGW
KGW chief Meteorologist Matt Zaffino said he expected to see heavy snowfall of about three to six inches tonight, with more in certain areas:
KOIN 6 Again
In her morning forecast, KOIN’s Kelley Bayern predicts more snow will be picked up this afternoon and evening, noting that the areas north of Portland will collect the greatest amounts of snow. She predicts about three to seven inches of snow by Friday night:
KATU
In her weekend weather forecast, KATU morning meteorologist Rhonda Shelby predicts five to six inches of snow tonight, with a mix of snow and icy rain on Saturday:
To make it a little lighter, here’s one nice video of a Portlander cycling in the snow this morning from KATU photojournalist Mike Warner.
KPTV
Mark Nelsen of KPTV predicts “huge rainfall totals” tonight. He expects snow, freezing rain, and ice pellets to be picked up in his afternoon weather update:
Stay safe there!
– Aron Yohannes