Weather

Portland Forecast Says Slick Conditions For Morning Commute

While there hasn't been a lot of snow in Portland and areas below 500 feet, forecasters say there's been enough to make the commutes tricky.

PORTLAND, OR – There were plenty of disappointed kids waking up in and around Portland on Monday as dreams of snow days faded faster than the flakes on the warm sidewalk. At times, there had been talk of as much as two inches.

For those who live lower than 500 feet, there may have seen flakes falling but that was about all they got. At 500 feet and above – and along the coast – it was a different story.

While there hasn't been a lot of snow, forecasters from the National Weather Service say that there's been enough to create slick road conditions for the Tuesday morning commute.

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Officials say that it's only expected to be about an inch of accumulations but that is all that's needed to combine with freezing temperatures to produce black ice for the next two commutes.

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And, they say, that people are going to get used it for the near future.

Monday night's temperature were falling to the upper 20s, which will seem almost warm compared to Tuesday night when the low could sink down to 20 degrees.

Given the expected conditions, the Portland Bureau of Transportation is suggesting public transit if you do need to go out.

PBOT also wants property owners, tenants, and businesses to remember that they are responsible for clearing sidewalks.

Officials say that they've also set up a Winter Weather Center online where people can check the latest and see where salt trucks, anti-icing trucks, and plows are in real time.

You can also check the elevation of places that you plan to be as well as look at live traffic cameras.

Meanwhile, the weather has caused delays in arrivals and departures at Portland International Airport.

Some departures have been pushed back as much as four hours. Alaska Airlines even cancelled some flights to Seattle from PDX.

The same is true of flights coming in to Portland. You can go here to check the latest information provided to the airport by airlines.

Meanwhile, from the Neah-Kah–Nie School District to the Camas School District, classes were canceled and in some places there was a bit of accumulation. That was especially true along some of the beaches such as in Manzanita and Cannon Beach.

Despite the lack of accumulation in some places, there are winter weather advisories in place for some areas.

The Coastal range is expected to see between three and eight inches depending on elevation.

Photo via Ty Mallow.


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