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The National Weather Service in Portland is telling the city it may—or may not—get snow in the days following Christmas. That’s about as much certainty as Portlanders normally get before causing a scene.
NWS meteorologist Daniel Hartsock tells WW there’s an 80% chance Portland will at least get a dusting of snow this weekend or early next week, and a 40% chance that Portland could get up to 4 inches of snow.
That’s a big gap, he acknowledges.
“Amounts are very uncertain right now,” says Hartsock, who adds that whether we get snow is dependent on a couple of factors: whether the drop in temperature and precipitation lines up and how cold the winds are that bluster into Portland.
“A series of fronts cool the temperature a bit each day through the weekend, with temperatures falling Christmas Eve and into Christmas morning into the mid-30s, and then warming back up to 40 degrees on Saturday,” says Hartsock. “Sunday morning temperatures will be right around freezing at 32 degrees, and on Monday morning it’ll be in the upper 20s.”
In conclusion: There’s an 80% chance we will have a wet and gray (with a light dusting of white) Christmas. There’s a 40% chance we will have a proper white Christmas.
If you or someone you know is in need of a warm place to stay this weekend, call 211 to get connected to a winter shelter.
The Joint Office of Homeless Services opens up severe weather warming centers when either temperatures drop below 25 degrees, over an inch of snow is forecasted, or temperatures drop below freezing and rain is expected. The office has not yet announced the opening of any such centers. This story will be updated if that changes.