By Rod Hill on 2014-11-25
A warm front has brought mild temperatures and high snow levels near 8,000 feet to our region! The news is good for holiday travelers who will find mountain passes with bare pavement and above freezing temperatures even at night through Thanksgiving morning. The ODOT camera at Government Camp shows a clear roadway with melting roadside snow this morning. The Santiam Pass camera shows much the same.
The snow level forecast calls for colder air this weekend, lowering snow levels to 4,000 feet Saturday and then rising slightly Sunday afternoon to 5,000 feet. No big storms, but possible heavy snow showers at times Saturday and Sunday could slow travel over Cascade roadways. Motorist should stay updated for changing weather conditions. The graphic shows local Cascade pass elevations. All Coast Range travel will find above freezing temps and dry or rainy weekend highways.
The warm weather is not good news for Mt. Hood ski resorts working hard to open for the holiday weekend. Above freezing temperatures at night possibly into Thursday will produce rapid melting of what was 2 feet of snow. Resorts such as Mt. Hood Meadows have been farming the white stuff, moving available snow to the slopes in hopes of providing limited terrain for holiday fun. Latest conditions are available on the resort's website:
Killing Frost on Schedule