Winter Journey Advisory: PBOT advises the touring public to be aware of forecasts for potential snow Wednesday night time by way of Thursday

(Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026) The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) advises the touring public to be aware of climate forecasts by way of Thursday, as snow in hilly areas is probably going in a single day and will create hazardous journey for a number of hours, in a timeframe from 5 p.m. Wednesday night time by way of midday on Thursday.

The National Weather Service has suggested PBOT that they’ve excessive confidence that there can be snow showers above 1,000 toes elevation, that might produce persistent showers that create hazardous journey circumstances.

Below 1,000 toes elevation, there’s reasonable confidence within the potential for a number of inches of accumulating snow with journey impacts, from 8 p.m. Wednesday by way of midday on Thursday.

Snow showers and potential accumulation could begin as early as 5 p.m., affecting night commute hours. Snow impacts on the lowest elevations would solely final a number of hours and would happen in a localized space to the south, close to Eugene or to the north close to Clark County, Wash., or immediately within the Portland-Vancouver space.

Areas at 500 toes or larger above sea stage — together with the West Hills, Mount Tabor and Pleasant Valley in East Portland — might have extra snow. Those areas would possible be the primary to see snowfall and expertise the bottom temperatures.

There is more likely to be a mixture of rain and snow showers that produce little to no snow accumulation with little to no journey impacts for many areas. 

The forecast has a excessive diploma of uncertainty. In the times and hours upfront of a winter storm, forecasts typically change. For many Portlanders, Tuesday night time and Wednesday could also be a handy time to find your winter climate provides, together with a snow shovel and ice melter to be used in retaining your sidewalk satisfactory in snowy circumstances. 

Respond to climate circumstances you see whereas touring

People driving, strolling or biking are suggested to be ready to answer the climate circumstances you see in your journey. If you see snow or icy precipitation, decelerate. Use further warning. Be ready to decelerate or pull over to park your automobile and look forward to circumstances to enhance. Dress warmly. 

The public must be ready for worse circumstances than is forecast, together with extra snow and snowfall that arrives earlier or later than anticipated. Forecasts include uncertainty, and climate forecasters have issue predicting snow within the Portland space.

Be ready to journey primarily based on the circumstances you encounter throughout your journey, together with carrying traction gadgets like chains and an emergency climate package in your automobile. Helpful gadgets to incorporate along with chains are a snow shovel, bag of sand, jumper cables, first support package, primary instruments (pliers, wrench, screwdriver and knife), blanket and heat clothes, further meals and water, cellphone and additional charger, and a flashlight.

Get Home Safe: Snow and ice journey suggestions on the PBOT web site

During winter climate, PBOT works to maintain important public transit traces and emergency routes open. These snow and ice routes are essentially the most important for our metropolis’s police and fireplace stations, hospitals, faculties, frequent bus routes, the downtown core, and main enterprise districts — a few third of our complete avenue grid. PBOT’s mission is to supply at the least one satisfactory lane in every route on these routes in order that autos with entrance wheel drive or traction gadgets can get by way of.

Depending on the severity of snow and ice, it could take as much as three 12-hour shifts for our crews to sufficiently deal with our routes with anti-icer. In a significant snowfall, it could take our crews as much as one 12-hour shift to plow our routes.

See the PBOT Winter Weather Center for a full interactive map of snow and ice routes in Portland, in addition to interactive elevation maps of the aea

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The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) is the steward of the town’s transportation system and a neighborhood associate in shaping a livable metropolis. We plan, construct, handle, and keep an efficient and protected transportation system that gives entry and mobility. Learn extra at portland.gov/transportation