Tracking possible Friday sleet and freezing rain
By Rod Hill on 2022-12-19
A large Arctic air mass will shift southward across the northern Rockies and the midwest Wednesday and Thursday, dropping all the way into Texas. Our local area will see gusty east winds develop on the back, west side of the Arctic air mass, possibly setting the stage for hours of freezing rain and or sleet Thursday overnight and Friday.
Weather models show Thursday night temps in the low to mid 20s as moisture arrives in a westerly flow off of the Pacific. Cold valley air at the lowest elevations would freeze liguid rain into sleet and or freezing rain through Friday morning and possibly into the afternoon, bringing hours of ice accumulation and making travel extremely difficult.
The timeline of warming at this point is in question, but warmer air is expected Saturday and Christmas Day as snow levels rise above Cascade passes.
Rod Hill
First chance of Portland snow this week