Parts of Clark County might see snow through Thursday

Parts of Clark County might see up to an inch of snow through Thursday, but it’s still a mystery as to when and where the snow will fall and stick.

“It’s not going to be continuous precipitation, it’s going to be on-again, off-again, and it’s going to be pretty variable as to the amount of snow accumulation,” Andy Bryant, hydrologist at the National Weather Service in Portland, said Tuesday afternoon. “Some places will have none, some places will have just a dusting, more isolated spaces might have up to an inch.”

Light precipitation and flurries of snowfall in Clark County began Tuesday and will likely continue intermittently through Wednesday night, Bryant said. The forecast for Wednesday night predicts a 30 percent chance of snow showers, mostly between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m.

Bryant said there is a chance drivers will see icy roads Thursday morning.

“I think ice is a possibility. Thursday morning I would advise everybody to be cautious, take it slow and see what the roads are like,” Bryant said. “There is a possibility that we’ll see some melting and refreezing, but that’s always a tricky one to pin down ahead of time.”

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning covering the majority of Southwest Washington and Northwest Oregon, but only the northern and eastern edges of Clark County are under the advisory. Bryant said the warning is meant for regions above 1,000 feet in elevation, because most of the metro area is unlikely to see much snow. The elevation at Pearson Field is 29 feet above sea level. Hazel Dell sits at about 200 feet, and Battle Ground is close to 300 feet.

“We’re going into this with above-freezing temperatures, so the roads aren’t likely to see sticking snow,” he said. “We think there will be some similarities to what we saw a week ago or so when we had another little shot of snow. The only thing with this is the potential for snow to happen is going to extend over a longer time period.”

Wednesday and Thursday will see easterly winds — with gusts as high as 41 mph — and overnight lows of 21 and 19 degrees, respectively.