Winter Storm Watch
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR
105 AM PST TUE FEB 22 2011
...SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL TO SEA LEVEL LOOKING MORE LIKELY
WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...
.UNSEASONABLY COLD WEATHER FOR LATE FEBRUARY WILL CAUSE SNOW
LEVELS TO FALL TO THE LOWER ELEVATIONS OF THE CASCADE FOOTHILLS
AND COAST RANGE OF SOUTHERN WASHINGTON AND NORTHERN OREGON BY
WEDNESDAY MORNING. MOIST ONSHORE FLOW WILL COMBINE WITH THESE
COLD TEMPERATURES TO PRODUCE SIGNIFICANT SNOW FOR THE HIGHER
TERRAIN TODAY.
AT SEA LEVEL...COLD AIR WILL BEGIN TO CHANGE RAIN TO SNOW
SOMETIME LATE TONIGHT OR EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING. THE FIRST BOUT
OF SNOW WILL BE HEAVY AND WET MAKING FOR A SLIPPERY WEDNESDAY
MORNING COMMUTE. THERE IS SOME CHANCE FOR A SWITCHOVER TO A RAIN
AND SNOW MIX BY MIDDAY WEDNESDAY BEFORE HEAVIER SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH MIDDAY THURSDAY. THEN THURSDAY INTO
FRIDAY...LIGHTER SNOW SHOWERS AND COLD TEMPERATURES COULD RESULT
IN EVEN MORE SNOW ACCUMULATION TO SEA LEVEL.
...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM TUESDAY TO
NOON PST WEDNESDAY FOR THE NORTH AND CENTRAL OREGON COAST RANGE
AND THE WILLAPA HILLS...THE SOUTH WASHINGTON...NORTH OREGON AND LANE
COUNTY CASCADE FOOTHILLS...
...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
THURSDAY MORNING FOR THE NORTH AND CENTRAL OREGON COAST RANGE
AND THE WILLAPA HILLS...THE SOUTH WASHINGTON...NORTH OREGON AND LANE
COUNTY CASCADE FOOTHILLS...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PORTLAND HAS ISSUED A WINTER
STORM WATCH FOR HEAVY SNOW...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING. THE WINTER WEATHER
ADVISORY FOR SNOW IS NOW IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM TUESDAY TO NOON PST
WEDNESDAY.
* TIMING...SNOW WILL INCREASE EARLY TUESDAY MORNING...THEN
CONTINUE AT TIMES THROUGH FRIDAY.
* SNOW LEVEL...SNOW LEVELS AROUND 1500 FT TONIGHT WILL LOWER TO
THE SURFACE BY WEDNESDAY MORNING.
* ACCUMULATION...4 TO 8 INCHES ABOVE 1500 FT BY WEDNESDAY
MORNING...FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER 8 TO 16 INCHES BY MIDDAY THURSDAY.
* IMPACTS...ROADWAYS IN THE COAST RANGE AND CASCADE FOOTHILLS WILL
BECOME ICY AND SNOW COVERED...RESULTING IN SLICK DRIVING
CONDITIONS...THAT WILL GET WORSE ESPECIALLY OVERNIGHT WEDNESDAY
INTO THURSDAY.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW
WILL CAUSE PRIMARILY TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SNOW
COVERED ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES...AND USE CAUTION WHILE
DRIVING.
A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT
SNOW...SLEET...OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL.
CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.
