Some Clark County residents saw the start of freezing rain late this afternoon as a much-anticipated ice storm hits Southwest Washington.
The National Weather Service’s Ice Storm warning remains in effect until 4 a.m. Wednesday for the Portland metro area and Central Willamette Valley. The agency’s Portland office said significant icing is expected.
“Total ice accumulations of around three quarters of an inch, except around one half of an inch below 2,000 feet,” according to an afternoon update.
The forecast called for rain before 4 p.m. then rain or freezing rain after. It’s expected to be breezy, with an east-southeast wind of about 16 mph and gusts as high as 26 mph. An overnight low of 29 is expected with more freezing rain turning to rain after 5 a.m. Wednesday. Temperatures could get above freezing by 4 a.m. Wednesday.
Weather conditions are especially dangerous for people experiencing unsheltered homelessness. The Council for the Homeless issued a severe weather alert through tonight. The alert activates the emergency shelter system in Clark County, opening up additional beds. For a complete list of shelters, visit Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency’s list of shelters and services.
Ice will make travel difficult and could cause more power outages. Report outages at www.clarkpublicutilities.com/outages-safety.
Wednesday’s morning commute could see more rain or freezing rain. But with rain after 9 a.m. and a high of 41, any snow or ice should be gone quickly.
C-Tran routes and services are seeing delays or changes. Vine passengers may need to use winter weather boarding locations for each stop. Turtle Place is closed, along with the Fourth Plain and Fort Vancouver Way westbound (stop ID 6148). A number of bus routes are suspended, on snow routes or closed. Check c-tran.com for specifics and updates.
Closures
Schools were closed and traffic was light today as Southwest Washington prepared for the storm.
School districts across the region started announcing closures Monday afternoon. Some have already announced late starts Wednesday. Details can be found at columbian.com/school-closures.
Many businesses and agencies were closed or closed early today in anticipation of the storm. Check websites before venturing out.
All FVRLibraries locations are closed, according to the website. The board of trustees meeting scheduled for today was canceled due to weather conditions. The next scheduled meeting is Feb. 20 at Vancouver Community Library.
The city of Vancouver was closed to in-person services today and will be again Wednesday. Visit www.cityofvancouver.us and click on Winter Weather Response for more information on closures or to report issues.
Clark County offices were closed to in-person services today and will be again Wednesday.
Down trees, broken pipes and other maintenance issues in parks can be reported to Clark County Public Works using its web form at clark.wa.gov/public-works/report-park-road. Report down trees on roads by calling 564-397-2446.
The Clark County Council’s 9 a.m. work session and 1 p.m. council time Wednesday will be remote only. Community members may still participate by calling in or joining via computer as outlined on the county’s website. Meeting agendas are available on the same webpage. Council meetings will be recorded and available later in the week on the county’s website.
Clark County Superior Court was closed today for in-person services except for first appearance dockets; those were held in person. All other dockets were canceled and rescheduled. Superior Court will open at 11 a.m. Wednesday. All dockets scheduled for 9 a.m. will begin at 11 a.m. Dockets scheduled for the afternoon will remain as currently scheduled. Jurors required to appear should report at 1 p.m.
Clark County District Court will also be closed to in-person services Wednesday. However, all dockets will be held virtually via Zoom. Links will be available on the District Court website.
Clark County Community Services rescheduled Wednesday’s public forum to Jan. 31 at the Ridgefield Community Library, Allene Wodaege Community Room, 210 N. Main Ave., due to inclement weather. The public forum is to discuss and get feedback on the findings of the county’s 2023 Low-Income Survey of Needs.
The Clark County Commission on Aging will hold its Wednesday work session and regular meeting in a remote format. The work session begins at 3:15 p.m., and the regular meeting begins at 4:30 p.m.
Travel
Officials are advising people to limit travel and carry emergency supplies if they must go out. 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.
Interstate 84 in Oregon is closed between Troutdale at Milepost 17 and Hood River at Milepost 64, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation.
Both directions of state Highway 14 are restricted to freight vehicles over 10,000 gross vehicle weight between Evergreen Boulevard, Milepost 19, east of Washougal and the Hood River Bridge, Milepost 65, near White Salmon. There is no estimated time for lifting the restriction.
This story will be updated.
