Some morning and early afternoon flurries presaged several inches of snow around Clark County on Tuesday evening and overnight, blanketing the Portland-Vancouver metro area — with much of it likely to stick around through Wednesday morning.
All school districts in the county reported closures for Wednesday.
Cornerstone Christian Academy, King’s Way Christian School, St. Joseph Catholic School, the Gardner School of Arts and Sciences, Firm Foundation Christian School and Meadow Glade Adventist Elementary also are closed. Columbia Adventist Academy in Battle Ground is reporting a two-hour late start.
National Weather Service meteorologist Matthew Cullen said it snowed around the metro area and the surrounding region for much of the day, although it didn’t accumulate markedly until the evening.
Car-crash calls began rolling in starting around 6 p.m. Tuesday, according to emergency dispatch logs, as the storm moved south and over the southern parts of the county. The National Weather Service in Portland reported that some areas saw an inch or more of snow per hour.
Cullen cautioned morning commuters that the leftover snow will take some time to recede Wednesday morning.
“Whatever falls tonight, that will likely still be on the road when people go about the start of their day tomorrow,” he said Tuesday night.
Wednesday’s temperatures should start climbing toward the afternoon, he said. The forecast calls for partly sunny skies over Vancouver, with a high near 40 degrees.
Forecasters predict a 10 percent chance of snow after 4 p.m., with snow likely overnight between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m. Wednesday night’s low will be around 29 degrees, with new snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.
Cullen said any snow will likely start as rain, but it’s possible the storm’s moisture will run out as it unloads to the north.
Forecasters expect varying chances of snow for Clark County through the rest of the week.
Thursday’s predicted high temperature is near 42 degrees, and there’s a chance of snow before 10 a.m., followed by a slight chance of snow or snow showers afterward, with new accumulation of less than a half-inch possible.
Forecasters don’t expect precipitation Thursday night, but the night’s low will be around 25 degrees.
Snow, and maybe rain, is likely Friday, but with a high near 40 degrees, no accumulation was expected.
The county Public Works Department encouraged people to plan ahead and limit travel if possible and to watch for kids playing in the snow — and for pedestrians trying to maneuver around it.
Report fallen trees or limbs to Public Works at 360-397-2446. Call Clark Public Utilities regarding downed power lines at 360-397-8000.
