.The heaviest snow so far this season is on its way to the Cascades after a strong cold front sweeps across the Pacific Northwest tonight, ushering in much colder air and more seasonable snow levels for Tuesday. Strong and deep onshore flow will lead to periods of heavy snow, strong winds, and near zero visibility for the Cascades, especially for exposed areas above 3000 feet. This has prompted us to issue a rare Blizzard Warning for the Cascade passes and above, with Winter Storm Warnings extending as low as 1500 to 2000 feet in the Cascade foothills. By the time snow showers decrease Wednesday, elevations 3000 feet and above will likely be measuring their snow in feet, rather than inches.
WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM TOMORROW ABOVE 1500 FEET…
* WHAT…Dangerous blizzard conditions expected. Heavy snow and strong winds will lead to white-out conditions at times. Snow accumulations of 1 to 4 feet expected, heaviest above 3000 feet in elevation. Southwest to west winds will gust as high as 55 mph at pass level and as high as 75 mph for the higher ski resort elevations.
* WHERE…South Washington Cascades and North Oregon Cascades. Winter Storm Warning in effect above 1500 feet, with Blizzard Warnings in effect above 3000 feet.
* WHEN…Until 4 PM PST Wednesday.
* IMPACTS…The combination of heavy snow and strong winds will occasionally result in white-out conditions Tuesday through Wednesday. Poor visibility and rapid snow accumulation of up to 2 inches per hour will result in dangerous conditions for even the most experienced of drivers Tuesday, Tuesday night, and into Wednesday. Strong winds and heavy snow will likely bring down tree limbs, leading to power outages. Increasingly cold and windy conditions will make the outdoors hazardous for the unprepared.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS…After a period where snow levels are well above the Cascade passes Monday night, snow levels will plummet to around 1500 to 2000 feet by midday Tuesday, remaining around 1500 feet through Wednesday.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
Travel Tuesday through early Wednesday should be restricted to emergencies only. If you must travel, make sure your cell phone is charged, make sure someone knows where you`re going, and be sure to have a winter survival kit with you. To learn what should be in a winter survival kit, visit www.ready.gov/car. If you and your vehicle become stranded, call for help and stay with your vehicle.
For the latest road conditions call 5 1 1, or visit for Oregon: https://www.tripcheck.com and for Washington: https://wsdot.com/travel/real-time/map
