A cold front moving through the region is expected to hit the Portland metro area Wednesday, just in time for the first official day of winter, bringing a chance of snow then freezing rain later in the week.
The high temperature Wednesday in Vancouver will be near 38 degrees with the low near 17 degrees, according to the National Weather Service in Portland.
A winter storm watch remains in effect for much of Southwest Washington and northern Oregon, stretching to the coast, with snow accumulations up to an inch and ice accumulations of one-tenth of an inch or less forecast. Higher elevations, places such as Randle, Mount St. Helens and Cougar, were expected to see heavy snow Tuesday with accumulations of 3 to 8 inches above 2,500 feet.
In Clark County, there is a chance of snow late Thursday morning and afternoon, followed by freezing rain Thursday night and into Friday. Vancouver could see new snow accumulation of less than a half-inch Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.
With the freezing rain expected to continue into Friday, the morning commute could become increasingly difficult as roads and overpasses freeze over.
Weather conditions should improve over the weekend as the warm front settles in and pushes out the cold air. By Saturday afternoon, temperatures should be back up to the mid-40s with the low in the low 40s Saturday night in Vancouver.
Christmas Day will see a return of more typical Pacific Northwest weather with rain and a high near 49 degrees and lows around 43 degrees.
Travel troubles
More than 40 miles of both state Highway 14 and Interstate 84 in Oregon running through the Columbia River Gorge were closed Tuesday morning due to weather-related issues.
Early Tuesday morning, the Washington State Department of Transportation was preparing to put freight restrictions on the Gorge section of state Highway 14, but closed the route to all traffic between Washougal and the Hood River Bridge when freezing rain hit.
WSDOT reopened the highway to passenger vehicles shortly before 10 a.m. and freight traffic at 1:45 p.m.
All lanes of I-84 were closed between Troutdale and Hood River in Oregon because of a fatal multi-lane crash at about 5 a.m., when a semitruck collided with an SUV, killing the SUV’s driver, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation.
ODOT reported that weather may have been a contributing factor, as most surfaces were coated in a thin layer of ice.
Although westbound I-84 reopened around 9 a.m., eastbound I-84 did not reopen until 1:45 p.m. in order for a crash investigation to be completed and to clear vehicles from the freeway. ODOT crews have been using salt, deicer, sand and plows to make sure the road is safe.
With snow and freezing rain expected later this week in Southwest Washington, WSDOT is advising travelers to use caution when driving in winter conditions and be extra careful if planning to travel over the holiday weekend.
For travel information in Oregon, visit TripCheck. For travel information in Washington, visit https://wsdot.com/travel/real-time/.
Finding shelter
For people living outside this winter, there are several places to stay warm and safe when bad weather hits.
Clark County’s Winter Hospitality Overflow and Satellite Overflow shelters are open seven nights per week through March. In severe weather, the Council for the Homeless issues a severe weather alert and coordinates the opening of additional shelters in Vancouver and Washougal for anyone in need, dependent on capacity.
Shelters can only be accessed by referral through the Council for the Homeless Housing Hotline at 360-695-9677, with the exceptions of the Living Hope Church and ReFuel Washougal shelters, which accept walk-ins and open only in severe weather. To access shelter, call the hotline from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekends and holidays.
Winter emergency shelters include:
- The Winter Hospitality Overflow site at St. Andrew Lutheran Church, 5607 N.E. Gher Road, Vancouver. This shelter serves up to 40 single women, children and families, with extra capacity during severe weather. The shelter has five additional spaces available starting Tuesday night.
- The Winter Hospitality Overflow site at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 1309 Franklin St., Vancouver. This shelter serves up to 24 single men.
- The Satellite Overflow shelters rotate regularly between Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church, 12513 S.E. Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver, Immanuel Lutheran Church, 8310 MacArthur Blvd., Vancouver, and River City Church, 2400 E. Fourth Plain Blvd., Vancouver. These shelters serve families, couples and single people, and between the three locations are open seven nights per week.
- St. Matthew Lutheran Church and ReFuel Washougal partner to offer shelter and food at the Washougal Community Center, 1681 C St., Washougal. The shelter typically offers about 12 beds during severe weather.
- A walk-in shelter at Living Hope Church, 2711 N.E. Andresen Road, Vancouver, opens during severe weather when there are enough volunteers.
Washougal shelters are in great need of volunteers, especially from midnight to 4 a.m. and 4-7:30 a.m. Wednesdays through Fridays. To sign up as a volunteer, go to https://tinyurl.com/4bymsp2z.
Additionally, winter shelter volunteers are needed every night until March 1, including volunteers to provide meals. Find volunteer opportunities on the Council for the Homeless website at https://www.councilforthehomeless.org/winter-shelter-volunteering/.
