Officials warn of treacherous ice and single-digit wind chill Thursday morning in Clark County after snow blanketed the area Wednesday.
The National Weather Service in Portland predicted temperatures would drop overnight into the 20s by Thursday morning. The cold, paired with forecasted wind gusts of 25 to 30 mph, could drive the wind chill as low as 5 to 10 degrees, according to meteorological technician Gerald Macke.
Clark County is under a winter storm warning until 1 a.m. Thursday and will remain under a wind chill advisory until noon. The weather service said roads could be slippery, and blowing snow could reduce visibility during the morning commute.
Snow should stop falling by midmorning, Macke said. Northern Clark County, including the Amboy area, saw about a foot of accumulation by Wednesday afternoon.
Heavy snow took down part of a large tree Wednesday morning on Washougal River Road, which fell on a Clark County sheriff’s deputy’s vehicle, the agency said. The deputy underwent surgery at an area hospital, and he was in critical but stable condition Wednesday afternoon.
Several school districts throughout the county canceled school Wednesday, and the weather affected more than 70 flights out of Portland International Airport.
Temperatures are expected to plummet again overnight Thursday and could drop into the low 20s or upper teens. But Macke said wind gusts should die down around then, too.
Forecasters predict the frigid weather to be over by Friday, when they expect temperatures to reach into the 40s. At that point, any snow should melt off, Macke said.
Officials warn anyone who must travel to be prepared with extra food, water and flashlights in cars and to be dressed appropriately to keep warm.
More than 4,000 Clark Public Utilities customers had lost power throughout the day Wednesday. Those who remained without power in the afternoon were largely in eastern and northern Clark County. To report an outage, visit the utility’s outage page.
If you need shelter from winter weather, call the Council for the Homeless Housing Hotline at 360-695-9677. Emergency shelters are also available at night.
