Winter Storm Kori Will Continue to Dump Rain, Possibly Ice on Portland Area

A strong winter storm moving through northwest California and Oregon is to blame for an ice storm that is expected to continue spreading heavy mountain snow and rain throughout much of the region.

Koined "Winter Storm Kori," the weather event has yielded 2 inches of ice accumulation from North Bonneville, Washington, between Hood River and Portland, Oregon, according to The Weather Channel. Such conditions have led to a laundry list of area school closures and overall difficulties navigating slick roadways.

"Hood River, Oregon, measured 1.5 inches of ice accretion, while Stevenson and Underwood, Washington, both reported 1 inch of ice accumulation," The Weather Channel said. "Precipitation changed over to rain in the Portland, Oregon, metro area by late Tuesday evening, but not before 0.64 inches of ice accumulated at the airport."

Additional ice accumulation between 0.2 and 0.4 inches is expected in Portland through Wednesday evening.

Meteorologists say that Kori arrived on the heels of last week's significant snow storm via a "deep plume of moisture known as an atmospheric river" making its way ashore the coast. That moisture is evident throughout the Portland region where rain expected to continue falling through Sunday.

"(The) weather system will spread rain and high elevation mountain snows across the Western states," said a National Weather Service update. "Warmer temperatures (are) causing some of the rain to fall as freezing rain and sleet in the Cascades and Columbia Gorge, as well as some interior locations. Heavy mountain snow will be possible from California into the Southern Rockies. Strong winds will accompany this storm."

An ice storm warning remains in effect until 4 a.m. Thursday for the South Washington Cascades Range, including Mount St Helens and Indian Heaven Wilderness. The National Weather Service in Portland has also issued a flood advisory until 9:30 p.m. for urban and small streams near poor drainage areas; as well as one due to rain and snowmelt in Norwestern Multnomah, Central Yamhill, Washington and Southern Columbia counties.

Locations in the flooding cross hairs include: Hillsboro, McMinnville, Beaverton, Tigard, Newberg, Forest Grove, Scappoose, Dayton, Banks, Amity, Yamhill, Oak Hills, Cedar Mill, Sherwood, Cornelius, Lafayette, Dundee, King City, Carlton and North Plains.

• U.S. Highway 26 west of Portland between mile markers 38 and 67.
• U.S. Highway 30 west of Portland between mile markers 11 and 26.
• State Highway 6 between mile markers 39 and 51.
• State Highway 18 between mile markers 37 and 52.