Uncategorized

Snow forecasted Sunday in Salem, icy roads likely next week

Kids play in the snow at Aldrich Park in Salem on Feb. 5, 2019 (Caleb Wolf/Special to Salem Reporter)

It may not be a white Christmas in Salem, but residents can expect snowfall Sunday and likely into next week.

Rain is expected the rest of this week. As of Thursday afternoon, the National Weather Service is forecasting the snow level in Salem will gradually drop from 2,000 feet Thursday to 1,000 feet on Saturday.

Lisa Kriederman, meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said the city may see a mix of rain and snow Saturday evening, turning to potentially a half inch of snow overnight.

She said Sunday will be the best chance for accumulating snow, the likelihood being more than 90%, with about an inch and a half of snow.

“The temperature should be cold enough to allow that to accumulate on grassy surfaces and raised surfaces,” she said.

Friday will see a temperature high near 43, with a high near 41 Saturday and near 38 Sunday.

By Monday, she said, “It’ll keep getting colder. but the chances of snow will be going down.”

Kriederman said roads could become icy as early as Sunday afternoon, which could deteriorate driving conditions the rest of the week as whatever water on the road melts during the day may freeze due to low temperatures.

Snow showers are likely Monday and Tuesday, and there’s a chance of snow showers Wednesday, according to the weather service.

The agency is forecasting a high near 35 Monday, near 32 Tuesday and near 29 Wednesday.

In a Thursday news release, the state Office of Emergency Management offered tips for Oregonians during winter storms, which the agency said are expected to move into the Pacific Northwest in the next seven to 10 days.

For emergency assistance people can dial *677 from a mobile phone, or call 800-442-0776 in Oregon’s northern counties and 800-442-2068 in its southern counties. They can dial or text 211, or visit 211info.org for health and social service assistance; dial 511 or check tripcheck.com for travel updates; or use Text-to-911 during an emergency for those who are deaf or hard of hearing, have limited speech capabilities or can’t talk due to an emergency.

The emergency management office said in the news release that people should prepare to have a plan and supplies for their family to survive on their own for two weeks. They can monitor weather forecasts for watches, warnings or advisories at weather.gov or sign up for local emergency alerts at oralert.gov.

-Ardeshir Tabrizian