The fat wet flakes just keep coming in the mountains—and they continued for much of the weekend. East of Portland, it’s quickly becoming a winter wonderland. About 3,000 feet in elevation, the giant raindrops hitting the Cascade Range change over quickly into an unrelenting snowfall.

            At Ski Bowl, the lowest of the Mount Hood ski resorts, they’re nearly ready to go. This is the third “whitening” of the mountain this fall so far.

If Ski Bowl remains a day-by-day question, Timberline does not. It was already running two lifts Sunday, with a third slope opening planned for Monday. And Mount Hood Meadows foresees a Wednesday opening.

            Travelers through the Cascade Mountain passes should fully anticipate winter driving conditions. Officials at the National Weather Service offices in Portland and Seattle say to expect wintery weather in the mountains. The agency has issued a Winter Storm Watch for the Cascades in Washington and a Winter Weather Advisory for the Cascades in northern Oregon through Sunday. It’s recommended that those traveling through the mountains carry chains or traction tires because conditions can change quickly at the mountain passes.

Washington Passes: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/passes/

Oregon Passes: http://www.tripcheck.com/Pages/CamerasEntry.asp

(you can also create your own custom camera page on the Oregon Dept. of Transportation website.)