After lows in the single digits, warming conditions Monday will start eroding Clark County’s crust of ice and snow.
“We will see warmer temperatures and rain push into the area,” Will Ahue, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Portland, said Sunday afternoon.
Monday’s forecast calls for a high near 35 degrees in Vancouver, with a 30 percent chance of rain, mainly after 10 p.m.
“We will see heavy rain on Tuesday and Wednesday,” Ahue said. “We’ll see temperatures climb into the low 50s on Wednesday.”
The area hasn’t received any snow since Thursday, Ahue said, but other winter conditions intensified over the weekend.
“We’ve seen pretty cold temperatures,” he said, with lows of 10 degrees on Thursday, 8 on Friday, 8 on Saturday and 12 on Sunday.
“Nothing record-wise,” Ahue added. “Vancouver records for these days are extremely low.”
The Jan. 14 record is -1, set in 1909; the Jan. 15 record is 5 degrees, set in 1907.
While most people will be happy to see the rain scour away the snow, officials are warning residents about some side effects. The Portland Weather Forecast Office has issued a flood watch for the greater Vancouver area, including Vancouver, Battle Ground, Yacolt, Camas and Ridgefield.
“With the amount of snow and ice still on streets, we must now try to minimize the risk of localized flooding,” a Battle Ground news release advised Sunday afternoon.
“Snow or ice blocking storm drains can keep water from flowing into the drainage system and can quickly create areas of standing water.”
Battle Ground’s public works crews will be clearing storm drains so they can handle all the rain water. But the agency also is asking residents and businesses to keep storm drains in their neighborhoods clear — when safe to do so — since the department oversees more than 1,800 catch basins and inlets.
Any sign of standing water or flooding in the city of Battle Ground can be reported at 360-342-5350 during regular business hours (7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.); after hours at 360-635-7076; or at http://www.cityofbg.org/FormCenter/Public-Works-9/Public-Works-Request-54
