PORTLAND - The National Weather Service in Portland has issued an icy condition report for the greater Portland metro area, the greater Vancouver area and throughout the Central and North Oregon coast range today.

The Central and South Willamette valleys are also in the warning.

KGW / Courtesy KGW viewer Tyler Mode

Frozen Multnomah Falls in Oregon

Cities affected include too many to name. But some of them are Astoria, Cannon Beach, Tillamook, Lincoln City, Newport, Florence, Vernonia, Swisshome, Clataskanie, Hillsboro, Gresham, Salem, McMinnville, Eugene and Corvallis.

Meteorologists say travel conditions are hazardous with icy roadways and overpasses in particular.

Sanding of major routes has been taking place overnight, but it is still recommended to defer travel if you can until conditions improve.

The stubborn cold is expected to last through early next week, bringing a chance for snow Saturday through Monday, meteorologists said Thursday evening.

Temperatures in Portland hit a high of just 34 degrees on Thursday.

Authorities were forced to close a busy thoroughfare in Wood Village Thursday after water from an underground spring seeped onto the road and froze over. They said the road would remain closed for several days between NE Halsey and Glisan until temperatures rise and the ice can be removed.

Winds also whipped the Columbia River Gorge, where a frozen Multnomah Falls beckoned visitors.

In fact, Friday is expected to bring more chilly but sunny weather.

"It is bone-chilling cold once again," said KGW Chief Meteorologist Matt Zaffino. "Over in eastern Oregon, temperatures have been below zero every day this week, at least in some locations."

Saturday evening, a rain snow mix is expected to form with snow sticking above 500 feet, according to Zaffino.

Also, Portlanders will see "showers and sun breaks Sunday and Monday with the snow level staying at about 500 feet before rising to 1,000 on Tuesday," he said.

This cold snap marks just another twist in an especially unusual weather season.

Slideshows:
Crashes, ice in Portland/Vancouver Metro areas
Ice on Highway 26 in Coast Range
Dec., Columbus Day storms big, in different ways

The region has been hit by a windstorm that knocked out power along the coast; flooding that led to a disaster declaration for both Oregon and Washington; several bouts of snow that mainly dusted Portland but cancelled or delayed schools in many surrounding areas and a tornado that touched down in Vancouver, Wash.