Winter storm watch issued for Willamette Valley for snow and ice Thursday and Friday
The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for the Willamette Valley for snow and ice that could disrupt work, school and travel on Thursday and Friday.
Power outages are also possible.
The warnings begin Wednesday night and stay in place until Friday morning, with the greatest impact expected between Salem and Portland.
As ever, forecasting snow and ice in the Willamette Valley is difficult — sometimes it shows up, and sometimes it doesn't.
The warning in place for Eugene to Salem, and the rest of the southern and central valley, began at 10 a.m. Wednesday and are in place until Friday morning. In this area, the system could bring 'total snow accumulations up to one inch and ice accumulations of one quarter of an inch possible,' NWS said.
In general, the more northerly areas around Salem are expected to see the greatest impact. It's expected to get warmer sooner in Eugene.
'Winter precipitation is expected to begin Wednesday night, starting in the south and pushing northward,' NWS wrote. 'Precipitation will initially begin as mixed freezing rain and snow Wednesday night, transitioning over primarily to freezing rain on Thursday. Significant ice accumulations will be possible, impacting the Thursday morning commute.
'Precipitation will transition over to primarily freezing rain by Thursday midday. Due to areas of freezing rain, power outages are possible.'
Travel could become extremely hazardous if the ice does show up.
'Roads, and especially bridges and overpasses, will likely become slick and hazardous,' NWS wrote.
A cold weather advisory remains in place across the Willamette Valley into Thursday for temperatures that feel as cold as 10 to 20 degrees.
'Frostbite and hypothermia will occur if unprotected skin is exposed to these temperatures,' NWS said.
The forecast in the Portland metro area isn't much different from the rest of the Willamette Valley.
'Mixed precipitation expected,' NWS wrote. 'Total snow accumulations up to one inch and ice accumulations up to one tenth of an inch. Winds gusting as high as 40 mph.'
Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter in Oregon for 18 years and is host of the Explore Oregon Podcast. He can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on X at @ZachsORoutdoors and BlueSky at oregonoutdoors.bsky.social.
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Oregon winter weather: Storm watch issued for Willamette Valley
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