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SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR
700 AM PST MON DEC 29 2014

...COLD AND WINDY WEATHER COMING TO SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON AND NORTHWEST OREGON THIS WEEK...

...ACCUMULATING SNOW IN THE SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON AND NORTHWEST OREGON CASCADE FOOTHILLS AND COAST RANGE LATE TONIGHT AND MONDAY MORNING...AND POSSIBLY THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE EARLY MONDAY..

FROM 1 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW IS POSSIBLE BETWEEN 1000 AND 2500 FT THIS MORNING IN THE SOUTH WASHINGTON...BUT MAINLY ACROSS THE NORTH AND CENTRAL OREGON CASCADE FOOTHILLS AND OREGON COAST RANGE. SNOW MAY MIX WITH RAIN BELOW 1000 FT THIS MORNING IN THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY...BUT LITTLE...IF ANY...SNOW ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED.

AN ARCTIC FRONT MOVING THROUGH THE GORGE INTO THE REGION WEST OF THE CASCADES MAY PRODUCE SOME LIGHT SNOW IN THE COLUMBIA GORGE AS WELL THIS MORNING. AMOUNTS MIGHT REACH AROUND 1 INCH AND COULD CAUSE SOME TRAVEL PROBLEMS.

THE COLDEST WEATHER OF THE WINTER SEASON SO FAR WILL IMPACT SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON AND NORTHWEST OREGON LATE MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY AS THIS ARCTIC FRONT MOVES THROUGH. BRISK COLD EAST WINDS WILL BEGIN TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE AREA TODAY...AND INCREASE IN EARNEST OVER THE AREA TONIGHT.

EAST WINDS WILL LIKELY GUST TO 60 TO 70 MPH IN THE WINDIEST AREAS OF THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE TONIGHT AND TUESDAY. EAST WINDS WILL ALSO GUSTS AS HIGH AS 40 TO 55 MPH IN THE PORTLAND AND VANCOUVER METRO AREAS AND THE ADJACENT CASCADE FOOTHILLS...AND COULD BE LOCALLY STRONG ENOUGH TO PRODUCE ISOLATED DAMAGE AND POWER OUTAGES. A WIND ADVISORY IS NOW IF EFFECT FOR THIS AREA. OTHERWISE BRISK 15 TO 25 MPH EAST AND NORTHEAST WINDS WILL ALSO AFFECT THE ENTIRE REGION LATER TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY...WITH SOME LOCALLY HIGHER GUSTS TO 45 OR 50 MPH IN THE COAST RANGE AND 35 MPH ALONG THE COAST.

HIGHS ON TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY MAY STRUGGLE TO REACH 32 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT IN THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY AND SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON LOWLANDS. COASTAL LOCATIONS WILL LIKELY ONLY TOP OUT IN THE 30S AS WELL. LOW TEMPERATURES WILL LIKELY BE COLDEST EITHER TUESDAY OR WEDNESDAY NIGHT WHEN WINDS BEGIN TO RELAX. EXPECT LOW TEMPERATURES IN THE LOW 20S ACROSS THE PORTLAND METRO...BUT TEMPERATURES WILL LIKELY DIP INTO THE TEENS ACROSS THE REST OF THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY.

THE STRONG EAST TO NORTHEAST WINDS IN COMBINATION WITH COLD TEMPERATURES WILL PRODUCE VERY COLD WIND CHILLS MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY. THE COLDEST WIND CHILLS WILL LIKELY BE IN THE CASCADES AND IN THE COLUMBIA GORGE...BUT THE REMAINDER OF SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON AND NORTHWEST OREGON WILL FEEL THE EFFECTS AS WELL. A WIND CHILL WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTH OREGON AND SOUTH WASHINGTON CASCADES WHERE WIND CHILL VALUES OF 15 TO 25 DEGREES BELOW ZERO APPEAR POSSIBLE TONIGHT INTO TUESDAY MORNING...MAINLY ABOVE 2500 FT.

BE SURE TO HAVE WINTER SUPPLIES ON HAND AND BE PREPARED FOR THE COLD WEATHER AND BRISK EAST WINDS THIS WEEK.