Snow likely to fall but not stick around in the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan area

After several days of bracing for winter weather, snow might finally be here.

Just don’t expect too much Tuesday morning, except at higher elevations.

The National Weather Service says snow showers are likely Tuesday, and on Wednesday, but with little accumulation.

“We do believe we are going to have some low-elevation snow in the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan area,” Andy Bryant, hydrologist with the National Weather Service in Portland, said Monday afternoon. “There are multiple opportunities to get it.”

Bryant said Tuesday’s high should be in the mid-30s.

“We’re not likely to see a lot of accumulation,” he said. “And if we did, it likely would melt quite a bit as we went through the morning.”

There is a more significant threat of snow Tuesday night and continuing through Wednesday, when the afternoon high is expected to be at or barely above freezing.

“The tricky part is probably the heaviest precipitation would be in the evening, Wednesday evening,” Bryant said. “Our temperatures would be right around freezing. It possibly could be mixed rain and snow.”

Forecasters aren’t sure how much accumulation to expect at low elevations. Bryant said the metro area usually sees quite a bit of variability, with some areas getting 5 inches and others no more than a dusting.

“It’s likely to be on the order of 2 or 3 inches,” he said. “There is a possibility that it could be more, but that’s what we think is most likely.”

With the temperature expected to warm up to nearly 40 Thursday afternoon, any low-elevation snow isn’t expected to last long before the Northwest returns to its pattern of wet, mild winters.