Winter Storm Watch for Willamette Valley this Weekend

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for snow and freezing rain.

Salem-News.com

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - A Winter Storm Watch is in effect from Saturday morning through Sunday morning for the Central Willamette Valley including the Salem metro area.

The storm is expected to bring significant impacts of snow and freezing rain across much of northwest Oregon and southwest Washington, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

Cold air will linger into this weekend as a low pressure system approaches from the Pacific.

This system will push several bands of precipitation southwest to northeast across the region beginning Saturday morning.

Temperatures will likely start off below freezing for all but the coast, resulting in a transition from snow or sleet to freezing rain, to plain rain as temperatures slowly rise above freezing.

This transition will occur most quickly in Lane County, and the slowest in and near the Columbia Gorge.

The result is expected to be a variety of winter weather ranging from heavy snow in the gorge to a potential ice storm for portions of the Willamette Valley and nearby hills.

• TIMING: A brief period of snow and sleet is expected Saturday morning, possibly lasting into the midday hours.
  Precipitation is expected to change to freezing rain by Saturday afternoon, with freezing rain continuing through Saturday night.
  Freezing rain will slowly change to rain Sunday morning as temperatures warm above freezing.
• SNOW ACCUMULATION: Up to 2 inches.
• ICE ACCUMULATION: 0.25 TO 0.75 INCH; Heaviest west of Interstate 5.
• IMPACTS: The combination of ice and snow will likely bring down some trees and power lines, leading to power disruptions in some areas.
  Travel will become difficult as ice and snow are expected to make untreated roads very slick.
• PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS: A Winter Storm Watch means there is a potential for significant snow, sleet or ice accumulations that may impact travel.

Source: NWS