Cold air trapped at low elevation is putting some extra chill in the air and challenging public works crews as they attempt to clear roads of snow that has compressed and turned to ice.
“Crews have continued to plow what they could from major streets and some side streets,” said a statement from Vancouver Public Works on Saturday. “But at this point, what’s on the surface is so compacted and frozen that progress is limited.”
With continued cold temperatures likely through Monday, that situation isn’t expected to change soon.
“Given the compaction and temperatures, it’s very slow going, as is the thaw,” the statement said.
Temperatures in Vancouver fell to 8 degrees Saturday for the second day in a row, despite forecasts that called for lows in the upper teens. National Weather Service meteorologist Evan Bentley explained that’s because east winds out of the Columbia River Gorge eased overnight, allowing cold air to settle close to the surface.
“Winds coming out of the Gorge keeps the atmosphere mixed up,” Bentley said. “Winds went calm for one hour, and the temperature dropped 10 degrees.”
Vancouver wasn’t the coldest spot in the metro area. That honor went to Hillsboro, Ore., which recorded a temperature of 4 degrees, breaking a record established in 1930.
Bentley said Saturday’s freezing level above the pocket of cold air was actually at 7,000 feet.
“This morning when we had those single digit temperatures at Hillsoboro and Vancouver, the higher hills up above 1,000 to 1,200 feet were in the low 30s,” Bentley said. “That right there kind of says it all.”
Sunday morning’s low was again forecast to be about 18 degrees, but Bentley said calm winds could again allow for colder temperatures. It will remain cold through most of Monday, with highs barely over freezing, Bentley said. Temperatures should rise late Monday as southerly winds pick up in advance of an incoming storm system.
That transition period is expected to bring some freezing rain to the Columbia River Gorge and eastern parts of the metro area, but Bentley said the chances of more widespread freezing rain are low.
Once the cold air has dispersed with the incoming storm, temperatures should rise to 47 degrees Tuesday and 51 degrees Wednesday. Rain is forecast for both days, with 2 to 4 inches of rain possible over the period, with the greatest amount of rain likely to fall Wednesday, Bentley said.
The heavy rain and snowmelt is will increase the risk of flooding throughout the region on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Cleanup, closures
In addition to working to clear streets of stubborn ice, which continued to cause numerous spin-outs and crashes Saturday, Vancouver crews will begin working to remove downed trees and limbs that fell earlier this week. The work could occur at night, in the hopes of removing debris in advance of heavy rains later this week.
Schools are closed Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and there has been no word about whether schools will be open or closed on Tuesday.
Icy and snowy conditions have resulted in rescheduling and cancellation of many MLK Jr. Day of Service events throughout the community. A brief list is available at: http://www.cityofvancouver.us/cmo/page/martin-luther-king-jr-national-day-service-2017. For other events not listed there, contact event organizers.
Regular Monday trash pickup is expected to take place on Jan. 16, though that could change if neighborhood streets remain slick and icy, that could change. Waste Connections’ website at www.wcnorthwest.com will be updated for any possible schedule changes.
City public works officials also warned that heavy snow covering branches is still a concern for trees around the area and that water pipes that have frozen when temperatures plummeted and stayed below freezing may finally burst when the thaw comes.
