Snow to give way to clear, cold weather

Most of Clark County received measurable snowfall Sunday evening, but it created only a few problems for Monday morning’s Presidents Day commute.

Temperatures hovered around freezing overnight, creating slushy roads and some patches of black ice. The National Weather Service in Portland said on its Twitter feed that unexpectedly cloudy weather acted as a blanket and kept temperatures above a predicted hard freeze.

It hovered near freezing at Pearson Field in Vancouver overnight, and was still only 35 degrees at 11 a.m. Last Monday it was 49 degrees; a typical Feb. 19 would be above 50 degrees.

A half-dozen traffic crashes were reported between midnight and 8 a.m. to Clark Regional Emergency Services Center. Local roads are the most slick; webcams this morning showed local freeways to be mostly bare and dry.

Because it’s Presidents Day, public schools are not in session and most government offices, along with some businesses, are closed. But traffic could still be slow in traditionally tricky spots, such as Prune Hill in Camas and the Columbia River Gorge.

C-Tran said Routes 9, 19 and 47 were on snow routes this morning. Regular service on 9 and 19 has been restored.

Clark Public Utilities reported a few power outages, including one near state Highway 14 and Interstate 205, which was also the scene of a before-dawn traffic crash.

Most flights were operating on time today at Portland International Airport, though approximately two dozen were experiencing short delays.

The National Weather Service in Portland forecasts mostly sunny weather today with a high of 37. Tonight will be very cold, with lows around 24 degrees in Vancouver.

Because the cold weather will persist all week, the metro area will flirt with more light snowfall for most of the week. The next chance comes Tuesday night.

Snow totals

Here are some snowfall totals, by elevation, for Southwest Washington and some surrounding areas, as reported to the National Weather Service:

 
 ...Lower Columbia River Valley...
 
 Mt. Brynion, WA............9.0          1250        0938 PM PST 02/18
 Rainer, WA.................5.0          1000        0630 PM PST 02/18
 Kalama, WA.................4.0          1350        0900 AM PST 02/18
 Scappoose, OR..............3.0           350        1031 AM PST 02/18
 Hills near Kelso, WA.......2.0           380        0329 PM PST 02/18
 Cathlamet, WA..............2.0           800        0848 PM PST 02/18
 Clatskanie, OR.............2.0           ukn        0334 PM PST 02/18
 Kelso, WA..................1.5           ukn        0900 AM PST 02/18
 Woodland, WA...............1.0           ukn        0943 PM PST 02/18
 
 ...Oregon Coast Range...
 
 North Plains...............8.0          1200        0221 PM PST 02/18
 Wilson River Summit........7.0          1610        0333 PM PST 02/18
 Sunset Summit..............6.0          1174        0332 PM PST 02/18
 Vernonia...................5.0           ukn        0202 PM PST 02/18
 Alsea Mt Summit............3.0           ukn        1247 PM PST 02/18
 Bald Peak State Park.......3.0          1450        0208 PM PST 02/18
 Jewel......................1.0           500        0500 PM PST 02/18
 1/2 N Banks................0.5           800        0204 PM PST 02/18
 Gaston.....................0.5           450        0203 PM PST 02/18 
 Swisshome..................0.5           750        1020 PM PST 02/18
 
 ...Clark County, WA...
 
 Elkhorn Mountain...........7.0          1350        1130 PM PST 02/18
 East Washougal.............5.5          1050        0330 PM PST 02/18 
 Green Mountain.............5.0          1398        0414 PM PST 02/18
 Livingston Mountain........5.0          1400        1200 AM PST 02/19
 Salmon Creek...............3.0           200        1200 AM PST 02/19
 Washougal..................2.5          1100        0202 PM PST 02/18 
 Camas......................2.5          1400        0137 PM PST 02/18 
 Hockinson..................2.0           800        0930 PM PST 02/18
 Battle Ground..............1.5           300        0640 PM PST 02/18
 Camas......................0.5            51        1003 PM PST 02/18 
 
 
 ...Portland Metro and vicinity...
 
 Boring.....................9.0           655        1200 AM PST 02/19
 NW Greenleaf Rd............4.0           ukn        0210 PM PST 02/18
 Sherwood-Chehalem Mtn......4.0          1100        0205 PM PST 02/18
 Happy Valley...............2.0           710        1200 AM PST 02/19 
 Cedar Mill-Bonny Slope.....2.0           500        1220 PM PST 02/18
 Gresham....................2.0           500        0856 PM PST 02/18
 West hills.................3.0           800        1043 PM PST 02/18 
 Damascus...................2.0           ukn        1026 PM PST 02/18
 Helvetia...................1.5           500        0114 PM PST 02/18
 West Hills nr Sylvan.......1.0           900        0112 PM PST 02/18
 Powell Butte...............1.0           250        0705 PM PST 02/18
 Bethany....................1.0           296        1200 AM PST 02/19
 Beaverton..................0.8           725        1252 PM PST 02/18
 NE Portland................0.5           190        0620 PM PST 02/18
 
 
 ...Central Willamette Valley...
 
 Salem-South Hills..........1.0           ukn        1106 AM PST 02/18
 Molalla....................0.3          1000        0750 AM PST 02/18
 
 
 ...Cascade Foothills...
 
 Yacolt, WA.................6.0           ukn        0212 PM PST 02/18 
 Sandy, OR..................5.0           920        1015 PM PST 02/18    
 Beavercreek, OR............3.0          1300        0630 PM PST 02/18
 Estacada, OR...............1.5           ukn        0938 PM PST 02/18
 
 ...Oregon Cascades...
 
 Timberline Lodge..........14.0          5880        0400 PM PST 02/18
 McKenzie SNOTEL...........10.0          4770        0400 PM PST 02/18
 Cascade Summit SNOTEL......9.0          5100        0400 PM PST 02/18
 Santiam Jct................8.0          3740        0400 PM PST 02/18
 Oakridge...................8.0          2100        0420 PM PST 02/18
 Mt Hood Meadows............7.0          5380        0400 PM PST 02/18
 Mt Hood SNOTEL.............6.0          5370        0400 PM PST 02/18
 Government Camp............6.0          5010        0400 PM PST 02/18
 Rhododendron...............3.2          1620        0930 PM PST 02/18
 
 ...Columbia Gorge/Hood River Valley...
 
 Hood River, OR............10.0          1500        0747 PM PST 02/18
 Corbett, OR................4.0           200        1027 PM PST 02/18
 Beacon Rock, WA............2.0           623        1021 AM PST 02/18
 Parkdale, OR...............2.0          1792        0207 PM PST 02/18
 Skamania, WA...............1.8          1300        0929 AM PST 02/18
 Hood River Heights, OR.....0.5           500        0430 PM PST 02/18