I don’t often do forecasts for Oregon, but I know a handful of people who are in special need of a local forecast, so here we go!
The setup
An area of low pressure at the surface is going to swirl off the coast tonight and into tomorrow pushing moisture into an environment that is near or below freezing from top to bottom.
That means the area will see a lot of snowflakes, but – at least to start with – not as much accumulation. That is because there will be times when the near-freezing air is warm enough to melt the some or all of the snow for short periods of time, but generally, snow is going to be the main precipitation type through this evening and into tomorrow.
Regional Radar
You can find an interactive radar here
Snowfall estimates for tonight
It will depend on your location, but anticipate between 0.5″ and 3″ of snow tonight and into tomorrow morning in and around Portland. The further south and the higher up you go, you will be higher up on that accumulation estimate.
Beyond that, there will chances for snow every day through Tuesday. Temperatures will make it above freezing each day, though, only barely in some spots. That means any additional snowfall may start of pile on top of older snow accumulations.
From the Portland National Weather Service
Greater Portland Metro Area-Greater Vancouver Area-Including the cities of Hillsboro, Portland, Wilsonville, Oregon City, Gresham, Troutdale, Vancouver, Battle Ground, Ridgefield, Washougal, Yacolt, and Amboy
250 PM PST Fri Feb 8 2019…WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 4 PM PST SATURDAY…
.TONIGHT…Rain and snow. Snow accumulation of 1 to 5 inches, with the highest amounts above 500 feet and east of Interstate 205. Lows 25 to 30. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph with gusts to 25 mph. Chance of precipitation near 100 percent. Rainfall amounts a quarter to a half of an inch.
.SATURDAY…Snow. Snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches. Highs 30 to 35. Northeast wind 5 to 15 mph shifting to the east 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Gusts to 35 mph. Chance of snow 90 percent.
.SATURDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy with a chance of snow in the evening, then partly cloudy with a slight chance of snow showers after midnight. Colder. Little or no snow accumulation. Lows 15 to 20. Northeast wind 5 to 15 mph. Gusts to 30 mph decreasing to 20 mph after midnight. Chance of snow 50 percent.
.SUNDAY…Partly sunny. A 20 percent chance of snow showers in the afternoon. Highs around 35. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light in the afternoon.
.SUNDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy. Chance of snow in the evening, then rain and snow likely after midnight. Snow accumulation of 3 to 7 inches. Lows 25 to 30. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation 70 percent.
.MONDAY…Mostly cloudy. Chance of rain and snow in the morning, then rain and snow likely in the afternoon. Snow accumulation of 3 to 7 inches. Highs 30 to 35. Chance of precipitation 70 percent.
.MONDAY NIGHT…Rain and snow. Precipitation may be heavy at times in the evening. Snow level 500 feet. Lows around 30. Chance of precipitation 90 percent.
.TUESDAY…Rain and snow likely. Snow level 500 feet. Highs 30 to 35. Chance of precipitation 70 percent.
Unknowns
Keep in mind the forecast is likely going to change as the forecast evolves. There are always unknowns with weather forecasting. And with snowfall forecast there tend to be unknown-unknowns, too. So please keep an eye on the forecast and check in witht he NWS or your favorite local meteorologists to keep up with the latest changes.
Dude, Nick, I want more info
A great place to keep up with the latest forecast form the NWS in Portland is here: https://www.wrh.noaa.gov/total_forecast/getprod.php?new&prod=XXXAFDPQR&wfo=pqr
Specific spot forecasts can be found here: https://www.wrh.noaa.gov/total_forecast/getprod.php?wfo=pqr&pil=ZFP&sid=PQR
