W. Ore. snow flurries turn to freezing rain

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The National Weather Service says a storm that started as light snow flurries over much of western Oregon turned to light freezing rain and sleet by Tuesday night.

Oregon State Police warned of icy road conditions in the Columbia River Gorge, where a jackknifed tractor-trailer temporarily closed westbound Interstate 84 traffic at Cascade Locks.

Weather Service meteorologist Julia Ruthford in Portland says the precipitation made for slippery spots but not much accumulation.

By early Wednesday, Ruthford said the sleet should change to rain in the Portland metropolitan area although snow and freezing rain could be expected to persist in the gorge.

Forecasts earlier in the week called for as much as a foot of snow.

Ruthford says 3-5 inches of new snow are expected in the north and central Oregon Cascade mountains.