After a cold Tuesday morning with a mix of dusting and snow, Oregon will see another round of wintry weather.
While the first day of winter isn’t until Dec. 21, residents across Oregon experienced a taste of the season early this week.
The Oregon Department of Transportation reported icy conditions throughout the state’s western region during the Tuesday morning commute hours. Additionally, much of Eastern Oregon was well below freezing throughout the morning.
Several Oregon school districts started late Tuesday or had to change bus routes due to the weather. In Southwest Washington, schools in the La Center School District in Clark County saw a two-hour delay. The Toutle Lake School District in Cowlitz County closed schools altogether Tuesday.
As of 6 a.m. Wednesday, no school scheduling alerts had been posted for any local school districts on FlashAlert.
Find updates on Portland-area and Willamette Valley school delays/closures from FlashAlert.
New snow on Tuesday, up to 4 inches on highways between the Willamette Valley and the Oregon Coast, was predicted by the National Weather Service’s Portland office.
Looking ahead
For Wednesday, The National Weather Service said 1 to 3 inches of snow could accumulate at elevations higher than 500 feet in the morning in the Willamette Valley. Some spots in the Portland and Vancouver metro areas could see slick roads for the morning commute. Any chance of snow will turn to rain after 10 a.m., with little or no snow accumulation expected.
Along the Cascades, another 8 to 16 inches of snow could fall by tomorrow morning, so drivers should expect difficult travel conditions in the passes.
Meanwhile, the coast range could see up to 6 inches of snow. A winter weather advisory is in effect through Thursday afternoon.
Some areas of Eastern Oregon could see periods of heavy snow this afternoon and evening. Around Pendleton, no accumulation is expected.
To the south, the National Weather Service office in Medford predicted snowy conditions as well Wednesday.
Current forecasts are available on the National Weather Service site, which can be searched by location.
This is a developing story. Watch for updates.