Oregon wakes up to icy roads, with snow still to come

Saturday morning update:

Most of the Pacific Northwest was in the grip of frigid temperatures on Saturday morning, and many Oregon cities could soon see several inches of snow by day’s end.

Icy conditions north of Eugene stranded multiple drivers on Interstate 5 early Saturday, temporarily closing down the freeway. Officials from the Oregon Department of Transportation say the area should be avoided if possible.

“That’s one of our biggest concerns right now,” ODOT spokesperson Kacey Davey said. “So if you can’t avoid the area, drive slow and be prepared for very challenging conditions down there.”

Snow will likely fall later than expected during the morning, but estimates now say Portland and Bend could receive up to 8 inches of snow, with the rest of Willamette Valley receiving between 2-4 inches, according to the National Weather Service.

This story will be updated.

Friday’s story:

Winter storm watches are in effect for snow and freezing rain in Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington through Sunday morning.

Snow flurries could fall in the Willamette Valley as soon as Friday evening, according to the National Weather Service. A wintry mix of light snow and rain briefly fell over the Portland area early Friday afternoon.

Related: Hundreds of emergency shelter beds open in Portland metro area ahead of freezing temperatures

By Saturday morning, the Portland-Vancouver area could see accumulating snow. In the central and southern valley, that precipitation will more likely arrive as freezing rain.

In the Pacific Northwest, advocates were particularly worried about homeless people as well as older residents who might be snowed or iced in.

In one hour Thursday, during the lunch service at Blanchet House, a homeless services nonprofit in Portland, about 165 warm clothing items were claimed.

Julie Showers, the nonprofit’s spokesperson, said people were desperate for dry clothes and shoes after days of cold rain.

“We worry about frostbite, hypothermia,” she said. “There are a lot of people experiencing homelessness in Portland that are in mental health crisis ... and slowly become hypothermic laying on the street because they don’t understand how cold it’s getting.”

Multnomah County declared a state of emergency Friday because of bad weather. County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson said snow, high winds and deadly cold required action. ”This emergency order helps provide shelter to everyone who needs it and saves lives,” she said at a press conference.

Multnomah County Commissioner Lori Stegmann said wind chill can change a small problem into a life-and-death situation. ”If you’re concerned about someone you see during colder conditions, such as an individual who may not be dressed for the weather,” she said, “please, please call the non-emergency response line at 311 to request a welfare check.”

• Closures and delays in the Portland, Vancouver and Salem areas
• Traffic impacts throughout Oregon
• Power outages in Oregon

In Portland and Seattle, temperature highs were expected to hover around the mid to upper 20s and lows in the low 20s and teens from Friday through at least Monday.

The homelessness agency in King County, home to Seattle, activated its highest tier of severe weather operations through at least Tuesday, working with cities to open 24/7 shelters and with transit partners to provide transportation to shelters.

Seattle City Hall served as a shelter for up to 40 people Thursday night.

Multnomah County, home to Portland, provided outreach groups earlier in the week with clothing and cold weather supplies to distribute to people living outside, including wool blankets, tarps, tents and sleeping bags, said spokesperson Denis Theriault.

Cold spells in the past have been deadly for Portland’s homeless population. Two people died of cold in 2022, an annual county report on homeless deaths found. That was down from eight deaths from hypothermia in 2021 — the same year four people died of overheating during the unprecedented and devastating “heat dome” that saw temperatures soar to an all-time high of 116 F in Portland and smashed heat records across the region. The heat wave killed hundreds in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia.

Portland winters do not include regular or extended periods of snow, so the city’s transportation department only salts or de-ices about a third of the street grid.

The Portland Bureau of Transportation asked people to avoid travel throughout the weekend. Between 1 and 3 inches of snow and ice could accumulate along the floor of the Willamette Valley. Areas at 500 feet or higher in elevation, like Portland’s West Hills and Pleasant Valley, could see up to 6 inches of snow.

One of the biggest problems for PBOT would be wet roads freezing overnight, causing icy dangerous conditions. Road crews have already started 24-hour emergency response operations and will work around the clock through the weekend.

“We need the public’s help,” said Portland city councilor and transportation commissioner Mingus Mapps at Multnomah County’s press conference Friday. “Make a plan to stay off the roads, to clear the way for the snowplows. Check on your neighbors, especially seniors and people with disabilities who may need assistance.”

The city of Portland is asking people not to abandon vehicles if they get stranded. But instead to park in a legal space and find a warm, safe place to stay — or to use public transit. Fines and tow charges for an abandoned vehicle blocking a travel lane can amount to $500.

Past snow and ice storms have effectively paralyzed the city, including in 2017 and in 2021, when freezing rain coated roads in dangerous ice and many ice-laden trees snapped and fell on power lines, cutting power to hundreds of thousands of people.

Last February, nearly 11 inches fell in what amounted to the second snowiest day in the city’s history, taking drivers by surprise and stranding them on freeways for hours.

Prepare for conditions

The city of Portland is advising people to carry traction devices, like chains, and an emergency weather kit. A good kit would include a snow shovel, a bag of sand, jumper cables, a first aid kit, a blanket, warm clothing, extra food and water, a cell phone, a flashlight and basic tools, like pliers, a wrench and a screwdriver.

Norman Chusid, owner of the Ankeny Hardware in southeast Portland, said he had to keep his store open two hours past closing on Wednesday to serve all the customers. The store has been selling 3 to 5 tons of ice melt every day, he said.

“Snow shovels have been going like crazy,” he said.

At higher elevations, heavy snow, high winds and white-out conditions were expected to envelop the Cascade Mountains and make travel “very difficult to impossible,” the weather service said. Fresh snow, measured in multiple feet in certain areas, already blanketed the Cascades earlier in the week.

Along the Columbia River Gorge, heavy snow is possible, with wind gusts up to 55 mph. Local and state traffic officials are urging anyone with travel plans Friday night through Saturday night to reconsider those plans. Those who must travel are urged to be prepared for extreme winter weather conditions.

Temperatures are expected to remain below freezing through Tuesday.

Pacific Power is monitoring the winter weather and crews are already on standby. Earlier wind storms this week saw 180 crews respond to more than 27,000 outages. Similar resources are staged to respond this weekend.

The power utility is asking customers to be prepared for outages for up to 72 hours, to sign up for outage alerts, to keep mobile devices charged, and to text OUT to 722797 to report an outage. Pacific Power is also reminding people to stay away from downed power lines.

Related: How to handle a winter power outage

The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for portions of south-central Oregon. There is a concern that all the precipitation may result in landslides when the weather moves back above freezing. Landslide contain boulders and logs in a fast-moving slurry and can easily move faster than people.

The weather service said people should move immediately if they hear sounds that indicate moving debris, like a tree cracking or boulders knocking together. It said people should watch streams and creeks. If they suddenly turn muddy or seem to increase in speed, the upstream flow has been affected.

Dr. Anne Toledo, with Kaiser Permanente, is warning people that cold weather can create medical risks too.

“I see injuries from slipping and falling on ice, to back injuries from shoveling snow,” she said. “In fact, shoveling snow can trigger heart attacks in some people due to the combination of strenuous physical activity, cold temperatures constricting blood vessels.”

Toledo recommends taking proactive measures to prevent falls, bundling up against the cold and checking on your neighbors.

Fire authorities are also warning people to not bring some heating units indoors as they can generate the poisonous and odorless gas, carbon monoxide.

OPB’s Kristian Foden-Vencil and Joni Auden Land in Portland and Associated Press reporter Manuel Valdes in Seattle contributed to this report.