Read an updated forecast: Heavy snow, wind chill dipping into negative temperatures now in the Clark County forecast, says NWS Portland
People living in Clark County might wake up to a snowy landscape Saturday morning. Some locals say they have plans to go sledding this weekend, but experts recommend staying off the roads and staying warm when temperatures drop in the evening.
“We’re still seeing uncertainty with regards to the exact track of this,” Portland National Weather Service meteorologist Jon Liu said. “The possibility is still there for this system to go south and miss completely and we stay dry. But it’s also possible that system hits us head on.”
Clark County and Southwest Washington will be under a winter storm watch, starting this afternoon through late Saturday night, according to the National Weather Service in Portland.
Friday will see a high of 38 degrees and a low of 14 overnight. Saturday will have a high of 20 degrees and a low of 15 degrees.
One to 8 inches of heavy snow and wind gusts as high as 45 miles per hour are possible, although Liu says Vancouver will more likely get 1 to 3 inches of snow.
Snowfall may begin Friday afternoon but likely won’t stick until later in the evening. One to 4 inches of snow may appear late Friday evening, with more than 8 inches possible if snow continues into Saturday.
Experts recommend avoiding travel Friday and Saturday night if possible.
People planning to travel state Highway 14 east of Vancouver need to be extremely careful, Liu said, because strong easterly winds are expected out of the Columbia River Gorge.
“I would expect (it’ll be) really dangerous. I would honestly recommend not to travel through there if at all possible,” he said.
Liu said people should have emergency supplies in their vehicles, such as water, blankets and food — and make sure tires have good traction.
For those staying home, the National Weather Service recommends bringing pets inside, checking smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and checking on family and friends.
Warming shelters
Weather conditions are especially dangerous for people experiencing unsheltered homelessness.
Council for the Homeless issued a severe weather alert for Friday through the Tuesday night. The alert activates the emergency shelter system in Clark County, opening up additional beds.
Living Hope Church will be open from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Friday through Sunday nights at 2711 N.E. Andresen Road in Vancouver. No referral is needed.
Refuel Washougal will be open 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. Friday night through Saturday night at 1681 C St., in Washougal. No referral is needed.
People who need shelter and housing assistance should call the Council for the Homeless Housing Hotline at 360-695-9677. The hotline is staffed 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekends and holidays.
Check road conditions at The Columbian’s live traffic map. For the latest on highways across Washington, visit wsdot.com/travel/real-time or follow WSDOT on Twitter. In Oregon, visit tripcheck.com.
Visit c.tran.com for route or schedule changes.
