Snowstorm Slams Portland Area

By Ryan Haas (OPB)
Jan. 11, 2017 6:15 a.m.

A weather system that moved over western Oregon on Tuesday evening dumped several inches of snow quickly, once again gumming up Portland roadways.

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Snow started falling in the Portland area in the late afternoon and by 9:30 p.m. had accumulated to nearly 5 inches in some parts of the city.

Many drivers who attempted to travel in the damp, quickly falling snow found themselves stuck. Major roadways, such as Highway 26, Interstate 405, Interstate 5 and Interstate 84, had heavy delays well into the night.

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The Oregon Department of Transportation closed Interstate 84 from Troutdale to Hood River overnight Tuesday because of weather conditions.

A similarly fast-moving storm caught Portland off guard in December and led to hundreds of abandoned vehicles on the city's roadways, and prompted ODOT to begin using rock salt on some roadways.

The National Weather Service forecast the metro area to get up to 6 inches of snow and issued a winter storm warning through 1 p.m. Wednesday, although some Portland area residents tweeted they had received as much as 10 inches by 10 p.m.

The weather service cautioned drivers that slick road conditions could last well into the Wednesday morning commute.

Many area school districts have also canceled classes and activities Wednesday.

Portland wasn't alone in dealing with large amounts of snow, however. Hood River County was forecast to receive 10–15 inches of snow through Wednesday, and Central Oregon braced for another storm in what has been a particularly challenging winter there.

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