Careful, Santa, freezing rain could slicken Portland rooftops Christmas Eve

Meteorologists from the National Weather Service say the lowest elevations of the Portland area could be hit with a glazing of freezing rain late Saturday or early Sunday morning — just enough to make Christmas Eve driving dangerous.

“It won’t be enough to break trees and do enough damage, but it might make for icy patches on the road,” said Gerald Macke, a meteorological technician with the National Weather Service. “Just be careful. Just be watching out.”

There’s still a lot of uncertainty, though. Forecasters say the moisture system also could manifest itself in the form of snow — a dusting — making for a white Christmas Eve.

But chances are slim the snow will stick around for Christmas — or that it will snow on Christmas Day, at least enough to stick to the ground.

Portland has officially had only one white Christmas in the past 77 years, since record-keeping of snow accumulation began. That was in 2008, when eight inches of snow covered the ground.

For this Christmas, forecasters predict a “wintry mix,” meaning there could be rain, some flakes of snow or maybe freezing rain, but no snow accumulation expected. If there is freezing rain, it will most likely be in or around the Columbia River Gorge, where east winds could blow in colder air.

The best chance for snow in Portland will be later Friday, but only on the highest hills and peaks around the city, forecasters predict. Forecasters say as much as 2 to 4 inches of snow could accumulate in elevations above 1,000 feet, starting in the afternoon. In the Portland area, that includes Northwest Skyline Boulevard, Council Crest and Mount Scott.

Forecasters note that they will be watching the changing conditions closely and will update their predictions if necessary.

– Aimee Green

agreen@oregonian.com

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