OPB’s First Look: Oregon’s chaotic forecast

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Good morning, Northwest.

Extreme weather is setting in for parts of Oregon and Washington with heavy rain in the forecast.

Several schools in northwest Oregon and elsewhere have closed or will start late due to power outages or road conditions. Find an updated list here.

We lead off this morning’s newsletter with the latest weather info.

Also this morning, five people detained in a Woodburn immigration raid have been released, and city officials condemn tactics by ICE agents in North Portland.

Here’s your First Look at Wednesday’s news.

—Bradley W. Parks

High winds knock down trees, power lines overnight in western Oregon, Washington

A series of storms, including a strong atmospheric river, are moving through the Pacific Northwest again this week.

Strong winds toppled trees and power lines along a wide swath of northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington early this morning. Hundreds of thousands of people were without power.

Forecasters with the National Weather Service said as the high winds start to subside, storms moving in later Wednesday could bring more rain and flood concerns. (April Ehrlich and Amanda Linares)

Learn more

Related: Damage from record flooding in Washington is profound, with more on the way, governor says (Gene Johnson)

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3 things to know this morning

• An arrest by ICE agents in North Portland last week was the first time documented when federal officers fired pepper balls at onlookers during an apprehension, according to city officials and immigrants’ rights advocates. (Troy Brynelson) 
• After an immigration raid swept up more than 30 Woodburn-area farmworkers earlier this fall, five of those workers have been released and their detentions declared unlawful. (Holly Bartholomew)
• The federal government’s decision to stop minting pennies is already causing issues for Clark County, Washington, where cash payments fund all types of services. (Erik Neumann)

Headlines from around the Northwest

• Portland faces a budget shortfall of at least $67 million next year (Alex Zielinski) 
• Washington agency investigating police deadly force expanding to Pierce County (Jake Goldstein-Street) 
• Northwest states, others sue Trump administration again over withheld EV charging funds (Alexa St. John)
• New bill would hike Oregon’s lodging tax to protect imperiled wildlife, habitat (Bryce Dole)

Listen in on OPB’s daily conversation

“Think Out Loud” airs at noon and 8 p.m. weekdays on OPB Radio, opb.org and the OPB News app. Today’s planned topics (subject to change):

• University of Oregon psychologists share tips for navigating stress during the holidays 
• How federal funding cuts are affecting conservation efforts in Oregon 
• Coffin Butte Landfill in Benton County inches toward expansion. Opponents are still trying to stop it

Ride the rails to Mount Hood on a speeder car

Today we bring you the next installment of OPB’s Slow TV with a trip through scenic orchards on the way to Mount Hood on a rail speeder.

Rail speeders are basically small metal boxes with motors that ride railroad lines. Track inspectors and work crews used them to move quickly between work sites, but they’re more hobby cars now.

Despite the name, this speeder run is a gentle 26-minute roll on a sunny day in Oregon that will make you want to slow down. (Brandon Swanson)

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Subscribe to OPB’s First Look to receive Northwest news in your inbox six days a week.