You’re Not Dreaming—It’s a White Christmas Eve in Portland

Portland can expect between 1 and 2 inches of snow—some of it falling Christmas day.

The Unipiper plows. (Courtesy of the Unipiper)

Get the hot cocoa. Break out the sled. Abandon your car on the Interstate.

It's snowing in Portland on Christmas Eve.

The white stuff began fluttering down from the sky shortly after 10 am today across the city—and in much greater doses in the West Hills and the buttes of East Portland.

In the central city, the snowfall is a dusting: less than half an inch, but enough to stick. It's also enough to shut down traffic on Interstate 5 northbound, where cars have stalled near the Marquam Bridge.

The National Weather Service, which had been predicting mostly slush and ice for the holiday weekend, now says Portland can expect between 1 and 2 inches of snow—some of it falling Christmas day.

The snowfall is heaviest on the outskirts of town—where the storm is at times dumping not-so-Instagram-friendly sleet and freezing rain.

Our publisher’s car.

East of Portland in the Columbia River Gorge, the Christmas storm could soon shut down Interstate 84. (The highway has been closed often this year, for less charming reasons.)

For the most accurate updates, follow the National Weather Service's Portland outpost on Twitter.

Got snow pics? Send them to news@wweek.com.

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