PORTLAND, Ore. -- Temperatures rose well above freezing in Portland on Wednesday after a surprise snow and ice storm on Christmas Eve.
A Winter Weather Advisory was lifted at noon Wednesday.
Expect light rain this afternoon and a high of 37, KGW meteorologist Rod Hill says, when the freezing conditions of the last several times will come to an end for good.
The NWS advisory cautions that there still may be periods of freezing rain this morning. Conditions in east Multnomah County near the Gorge remain icy.
The Multnomah County Sheriff's Office said deputies responded to at least nine crashes related to speed and ice Tuesday. The sheriff's office said drivers should avoid travel on Interstate 84 east of Troutdale.
The Portland Bureau of Transportation issued a winter travel advisory, warning travelers about the icy roads, especially in higher elevations. PBOT said crews will be patrolling Portland streets to monitor conditions and treat roads as needed.
The conditions were caused by two rounds of unexpected snow that fell in the metro area Sunday.
Precipitation was expected in Portland but forecasters believed temperatures would be a couple degrees above freezing and the moisture would fall as rain. But temperatures remained at or below freezing for most of the day, so the moisture fell as snow or sleet instead.
The first batch came late in the morning as a very small amount of snow and sleet. The second round came in the late afternoon, where some areas received up to three inches of snow, although most of Portland received between an inch or two.
Photos: Christmas Eve snow