Anyone planning to spend the holiday weekend in the Vancouver area should prepare for snow that could begin Saturday.
The National Weather Service in Portland forecasts rain sticking around for the rest of the week — though it should return to a drizzle. But some snow could mix in with rain in Vancouver by midday on Christmas or that night, according to meteorologist Clinton Rockey. There’s an even greater chance of snowflakes Sunday and into Monday.
Rockey said it’s hard to tell yet how much snow will accumulate, but drivers should be prepared for a blanket of the white stuff on the roads. Current estimates suggest between 2 and 4 inches by midday Sunday and between 3 and 8 inches by Monday.
Officials are warning those planning to travel over the weekend be prepared for snowy or potentially icy roads and to give themselves extra time for slow driving.
Once the cold front reaches Clark County, temperatures are likely to stay near freezing through next week, with overnight lows in the teens or 20s.
But forecasters say sunshine should make an appearance Tuesday or Wednesday, before another potential round of snow rolls in for New Year’s weekend.
“Our extremely active year looks like it wants to end on a rather active note,” Rockey said.
It has only snowed on Christmas in the Portland area eight times since 1940, he said, and even then, there’s only been measurable accumulation at Portland International Airport on the holiday once since then.
“It’s a rare event,” he said. “So if it happens, enjoy it.”
November and December so far have been wetter than average, and Rockey said the persistent cloud cover has prevented the temperature from dropping to freezing much yet this fall and winter. So far this month, rainfall is above normal. The area is nearing normal rainfall for the year, the meteorologist said, despite falling short the past few years.
