Will the there be a white Christmas for people in the valleys east of the Coast Range? Maybe. For those traveling to see friends and family in the next few days, there is a good chance snow — a lot of it — will be on the road, especially in the higher elevations.

Ryan Sandler, a National Weather Service meterologist at the Medford office, said he is watching a storm forecast for late Christmas Eve and Christmas Day that will bring a foot or two of snow to the mountains and perhaps a dusting on valley floors. Until then, travelers may get a little break from the icy, slippery conditions.

“These next few days, the snow levels won’t be quite as low,” he said. “It could get that way by Thursday morning.”

Portland and surrounding areas could see snow still today, but little or no accumulation is expected. It could change to rain Tuesday night and Wednesday, but snow is back in the picture Christmas Eve and a rain/snow mix is forecast through Friday. Daytime temperatures for Portland are forecast from the mid-to high 30s and lows could range from the mid-20s to low 30s.

For people flying out of the Southwest Oregon Regional Airport in North Bend, flights to and from Portland were on schedule today, though some flights in Portland have been delayed.

If you’re driving through Oregon’s snowed-in mountains, expect snow and lots of it. You’ll need to have traction tires or chains, and it may take some hunting to get them.

The snowy disaster in Portland prompted people up north to buy much of what was on the market. Supplies may run short even in Coos Bay — due to weather and the lull in holiday truck traffic.

“The main problem is supply,” Farwest Tire Manager Monte Armstrong said. “I have a couple of odd sizes of studded tires left.”

A recent shipment put Farwest’s stock of chains in a better position, but Armstrong said the supply problem likely will persist into the new year. At least one local freight company is taking several days off around the holiday.

Gary Steele at Steele’s Universal Tire and Wheel Inc. in Coquille said he, too, was short on supply. Travelers should call ahead to make sure tire stores have what they need in stock. Plan ahead, too, in that it takes about an hour or so to install studded tires on a vehicle — if they are in stock.

Farwest has seen a recent increase in customers wanting snow-travel gear.

“I’ve definitely seen a big boom,” he said.

Sandler said the mountains will bear the brunt to the upcoming Christmas storm.

“It looks messy if you’re going up over higher passes,” Sandler said.

Snow mixed with rain is forecast through the weekend in the Siskiyou Mountains and Southern Oregon Cascades. Travelers through the Northern Cascades will encounter snow through Friday and windy conditions Wednesday. On Saturday and Sunday, a snow and rain mix is in the forecast, with the snow level rising to 3,000 feet.

Travelers heading north up the coast may encounter the white stuff, too. The Astoria and Tillamook areas have rain in the forecast for tonight and Wednesday, possibly turning to snow that night.

The mid-to-southern Willamette Valley was to see snow showers this morning with snow levels rising from 500 feet to 1,000 feet. Rain and snow will change to rain Tuesday night with rain hanging around through the weekend. Christmas Eve could bring a snowrain mix, with low tempeartures in the low to mid-30s.