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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Snow and winds dominate Tuesday night through Wednesday morning for the Cascades and in southern Oregon, although the Portland metro area could see a few snowflakes that are unlikely to stick.
Our projected bomb cyclone (central low pressure ~972mb via the Euro model) moves onshore Tuesday evening around 6-7 p.m. It’ll be interesting to see what the observed central pressure is when it makes landfall.
The low still hits near the southern Oregon border. We are already seeing the effects now as snow continues to fall throughout the mountain passes. Heavy snow moves in Tuesday night and almost the entire Cascade range is under a Winter Storm Warning; mountain pass travel is not advised.
Something else to watch out for with this storm is high winds. Portland and areas in the Gorge could see gusts close to 30-40 mph. The mountains could see gusts up to 50-60+ through Wednesday morning.
As for the possibility of seeing some snow in the Portland metro area, upper-level winds from the east set up Tuesday afternoon and will drag in cold air. Snow levels are projected to drop to near 1000 feet. We’ll stay cold the next several days, but models are keeping the metro and northern Willamette Valley pretty dry. If we see snow, it’ll be in very intermittent and likely no accumulation on roads. However, neighborhoods at about 1000 feet could see some snow sticking to trees and yards if it does end up falling.
As for the prospect of snow in the Gorge, it could be likely to see some light snow accumulations for Cascade Locks and Hood River as we head into Wednesday morning. That, plus windy conditions, could cause some hairy driving situations on Interstate 84.
Other spots that might see snow through Wednesday morning include the Central Coast, Newport area, which could see less than an inch; Eugene, which could see about an inch of snow; and Bend, which could get anywhere between 5 to 8 inches of snow.
Most of the winter action will be Tuesday night through Wednesday morning. Things calm down and dry out by Wednesday afternoon, with partly sunny skies and highs in the low 40s in Portland.
Hitting the roads this holiday season? Listen to our Your Weather podcast episode on winter weather driving tips:
For Kelley’s full winter weather outlook, listen below: