As temperatures began dropping Wednesday evening, east winds blew in frigid winter weather expected to bring snow and ice to Clark County Thursday and Friday.
National Weather Service forecasters predict snow could begin falling in the county around 5 p.m., but it’s only expected to accumulate about a half-inch.
Overnight low temperatures are forecasted to reach 21 degrees, with a wind chill of minus 1 degree in Vancouver. Wind gusts through the night could reach 45 to 50 mph, especially for those closer to the Columbia River, according to Andy Bryant, a hydrologist with the National Weather Service in Portland.
Snow will likely turn to sleet, then to freezing rain Friday; residents could wake up to an icy mess on the roads, Bryant warns.
“We’ll have freezing rain for Clark County and Southwest Washington, and accumulations are likely to be around a quarter to a third of an inch, which doesn’t sound like a whole lot,” Bryant said. “But it doesn’t take a lot of ice coating to start to cause a lot of problems for transportation. Even just walking around outside will be tricky.”
On Friday, in particular, officials encourage people to stay home if they can, or be prepared if they must travel. The weather service recommends people driving Thursday night or Friday fill cars with a full tank of gas and pack extra food and water, blankets, a first aid kit, snow chains, phone chargers, flares and tow ropes.
Late Friday night, however, forecasters say temperatures will begin to rise above freezing. On Saturday, the precipitation is expected to return to rain as temperatures could reach into the 40s, Bryant said.
The rain is likely to stick around throughout the weekend and into next week, but the freezing temperatures should be behind us, Bryant said.
Conditions are expected to be worse through the Columbia River Gorge, where Bryant warns driving conditions could remain challenging through Saturday night.
Resources in Vancouver
The city of Vancouver encourages residents to become familiar with its service operations ahead of the storm.
For weather-related issues that require immediate attention, such as a traffic signal outage, fallen tree or broken water main, people should call Public Works at 360-487-8177. Contact Clark Public Utilities at 360-992-8000 if there are any downed power lines.
Public Works crews will soon apply deicer on dry streets and pretreat intersections and hill roads. The city will upkeep city-owned facilities, such as police and fire stations, as well as primary and secondary routes, which can be viewed online in its snow removal route map.
Any delays or closures to the city’s community centers or programs will be posted on www.cityofvancouver.us/parksrecculture. Community center members or those registered in camps will receive email updates.
Garbage, recycling and organics collections may be impacted by the wintry weather. City officials suggest having spare containers that can hold additional rubbish in case services are delayed. Those who use these services can receive service alerts through the RecycleRight app.
People can monitor wsdot.com or tripcheck.org for road closures and conditions.
