SNOW OR NO? PREDICTION BLOWS BOTH WAYS FRIDAY.

Byline: Susan Palmer The Register-Guard

The National Weather Service is toying with us.

In a "special weather statement" released Monday, the Portland office reported that the southern Willamette Valley could see either a few scattered snowflakes at lower elevations by the end of the week or "a significant snowfall that impedes daily activities."

Snow day or flake day - the math models the weather service uses to refine forecasts can't decide, said Tyree Wilde, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Port- land.

The current surge of cold air that dropped down from Canada has shouldered aside our usual winter fare of rain and mild temperatures, weather that comes to us courtesy of the Pacific Ocean.

The air mass will stick around, slicking streets and frosting win- dows through Wednesday, forecasters say. On Thursday, we'll get another dose of wet weather.

But meteorologists say there's a chance another cold front from Canada could get sucked into the moisture-laden air over the ocean before looping back inland, packing a cold-wet combo punch that would mean snow in the valley on Friday.

"We're pretty confident we're getting the cold air," Wilde said. "We're not so confident about the moisture."

Expect highs in the 40s today and Wednesday with lows in the mid- to upper 20s. Then keep a close eye on the forecast come Wednesday and Thursday, Wilde said.

That's when meteorologists will have a clearer picture of the dueling weather systems and their impacts.

WEATHER, TRAFFIC UPDATES

National Weather Service: www.newweb.wrh.noaa.gov

Oregon road conditions: www.tripcheck.com or phone 511