Portland Could Have the Coldest Start to the New Year In 38 Years

We just might get a white New Year's Day. But it will mostly be cold. Really cold.

It looks like 2017 is coming in as strong as 2016 is going out.

Portland could see the coldest start to the new year since 1979, according to WW's news partner KATU-TV. 

Last year, the first week of January saw temperatures as high as 57 degrees.

This year, it's going to be a lot colder than that, with highs around 30 or upper 20s and overnight lows around 15 to 20 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

"We think starting Monday we won't get above freezing probably through Thursday or Friday," says NWS meteorologist Andy Bryant. "It's going to be cold for a few days."

The low temperatures aren't new to Portland, Bryant says, citing similar temperatures in December 2013, but it's been a while since we've had such cold temperatures in early January.

In instances of weather cold enough to issue a Severe Weather Notice, overnight emergency warming shelters open. A Severe Weather Notice is triggered when the forecasted temperature or wind chill is 25 degrees, when there's forecasted snow accumulations of 1 inch or more sticking to the ground in most locations, or when there's a forecasted temperature at or below 32 degrees with driving rain of 1 inch or more.

As of this afternoon, 211info says they don't anticipate issuing a Severe Weather Notice for Multnomah County, but lists seasonal and year-round warming shelters that will be open, like Union Gospel Mission, St. John's Warming Center and Peace Shelter 2.

Transition Projects' two severe weather shelters will be open as well. The Day Center at Bud Clark Commons will open at 4 am on January 1, and will remain open 24/7.

The Imago Dei Community Center where will be opening at 8 pm on January 1, and will be open from 8 pm – 7 am.

"At this time we are planning–based on weather reports–to go through the week until Thursday night into Friday morning," says Roma Peyser, director of development for Transition Projects.

New Year's Eve will probably see a little bit of rain overnight and into Sunday morning, when it could change to snow, Bryant says.

"We might get a dusting of snow here in Portland on New Year's Day, maybe up to an inch, but there's not a lot of moisture," he says.

And as for next week, if those little snow icons on your Weather app are making you nervous, Bryant says there's "nothing real strong as far as, 'we're gonna have a big snowstorm moving in.' Maybe we'll have some precipitation, but I wouldn't say it's likely. It's a possibility."

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