By Rod Hill on 2012-01-13
A Reminder, My Snow Level Forecast Is Posted on The Ski Forecast Page. Check Daily For Updates.
Air behind Saturday's cold front will drop the snow level to 1,500' by Saturday evening, near 300 feet @ times Sunday & Monday. The snow level will rise to 2,000' Tuesday afternoon.
A westerly flow Saturday night - Tuesday morning will likely mean mostly rain below 500 feet, with roadways wet & fine most hours. There will be a decent chance of occasional snow dustings at 300 feet. The best chance for an inch of snow in the Portland City Center will be Monday morning, but odds favor wet roadways & few problems.
The biggest mystery will be metro hills near and above 500 feet. Sometimes, the westerly flow brings a mix of rain and snow and other times, the hills get hammered with heavy snow. This is a total wild card! If the air is cold enough, the high hills could see 6-12" of snow through Tuesday morning. We will have to wait and see.
I do expect heavy snow accumulation of more than a foot over the Coast Range. Sandy & high hills, especially in Clark & Cowlitz counties could also see a foot of snow through the period.
Rod Hill
Possible Driest December On Record