
The National Weather Service in Portland has issued a Cold Weather Advisory effective from this evening until Monday morning, warning residents of frostbite and hypothermia risks due to the chilling temperatures predicted across the region. According to the forecast by NWS, west of the Cascades should expect apparent temperatures between 20 to 25 degrees, while harsher conditions are anticipated through the Columbia River Gorge and Upper Hood River Valley with a sharper bite to the air as the mercury might only rise to a bracing 10 to 15 degrees.
Residents in exposed areas of the Gorge and Portland/Vancouver Metro Area will face the additional hazard of brisk easterly winds, gusting up to 45 mph in the Gorge and between 25 to 35 mph in the eastern metro zones. In a statement obtained by the National Weather Service, Easterly winds through the Columbia River Gorge will lead to dangerous wind chills within the Gorge and Portland/Vancouver Metro Area." Unprepared skin grappling with these winds could spell danger, rendering flesh to risk of frostbite.
The Cold Weather Advisory covers a vast area, including the Cascade Foothills of Southwest WA and Northwest OR, the entire expanse of the Willamette Valley, also reaching to the coastal regions and Coast Range. The advisory encompasses, too, the stretches along the Columbia River Gorge, and the Upper Hood River Valley. Considering these conditions, the National Weather Service recommends bundling up appropriately and covering exposed skin to stave off the cold's bite.
In light of the advisory, pet owners are advised to keep their animals indoors as much as feasible, and for outdoor animals, to ensure they have access to a shelter that shuns the cold, complete with provisions of food and water that has not yielded to the freeze. "Keep pets indoors as much as possible," alerts the advisory from the NWS, acknowledging the discomfort and peril even our furry companions stand against in the face of this cold spell.
Further details and updates on the weather conditions can be accessed at the NWS Portland page. The public is urged to take this advisory seriously and prepare accordingly, with the assurance that the NWS will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as necessary.