A shot of wintry precipitation could again cause a dicey morning commute in Clark County on Friday.
Forecasters expected low-elevation snow to start falling overnight, possibly increasing in intensity in the hours leading up to the morning rush hour. Moisture will likely change to all rain later Friday morning, but not before a slick concoction of possible snow, sleet and freezing rain threatens local roadways.
“It does look like a rain and snow mix is heading in,” Beth Burgess, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Portland, said Thursday. “But it depends how long that’s going to last.”
The Portland-Vancouver metro area could see anywhere from a trace to 2 inches of snow on the ground before rain takes over, said Steve Pierce of Northwest Weather Consultants.
Exactly what people see out their windows will depend on their location and how wind patterns stir things up, Pierce said.
“Regardless, I would plan for a slow and possibly slick commute Friday morning,” Pierce said in an email. The snow threat should be gone by the afternoon, he added.
School closures and other weather-related problems can be found on The Columbian’s website. http://www.columbian.com.
Icy roads caused a few hiccups for Thursday morning commuters and delayed some schools, but for the most part road conditions remained clear.
Reports from the Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency showed 21 auto accidents taking place between 5 and 9:30 a.m. in Clark County, but few included injuries or impacts to traffic.
Once the snow fades Friday, a chance of rain will linger through the weekend as temperatures hover mostly in the 40s, according to the weather service.
The forecast for Christmas Day calls for above-freezing temperatures and perhaps some sunshine.
