Winter Storm Weather Affecting Much Of Oregon, Multiple Road Closures

by | Dec 23, 2022 | News, Storm Watching, Travel, Weather

The temperatures have dropped and precipitation came in the form of mostly freezing rain for many Oregonians over the evening. The National Weather Service issued a storm warning in effect until 4 PM Friday. Elevations 2,000 feet and below could see an additional one-tenth to three-tenths of an inch of ice, with higher elevations seeing slightly less.

State officials warn of falling trees, and possible power outages, as well as difficulty traveling. ODOT is urging people to stay off of the roads.

Major Road Closures And Delays

I-84 remains closed between exits 17-64 until road conditions improve. Hood River predicted to possibly see an inch of snow, and ice accumulation of up to three quarters of an inch, with wind gusts of 75 MPH. Hood River will remain in a winter storm warning until 10 PM Saturday. 

Additionally SR-14 is closed to freight traffic between Evergreen Blvd. (mile post 19) and the Hood River bridge (mile post 65) near White Salmon. 

TriMet has also temporarily suspended all MAX lines as of Friday morning. TriMet said in a news release that many trains were getting stuck. Bus service has been reduced to "frequent service only", and buses are running with heavy-duty chains, which means they can travel no faster than 25 MPH. For information on public transit disruptions, delays and cancellations click here.

The Astoria Megler Bridge is also closed, as it is iced over, and hazardous for drivers.

Holiday Airline Travel

If you have any plans of flying out of PDX or the Eugene Airport, make sure to check your flight status. 278 flights have been canceled into and out of PDX as of noon Friday

Alaska Airlines announced it canceled all flights out of PDX and SEA-TAC airports until noon, as the runway remained icey. You can check your flight status here

Power Outages

Some Oregonians woke up this morning without power, with over 7,000 people in Tigard, Troutdale, and some areas of SE Portland. An additional estimated 5,200 people were without power in mostly Astoria and Lincoln City. So far those numbers remain relatively low, for the severity of the storm that hit.

Check Road Conditions

With winter storm warning to remain in effect for much of Oregon into the evening, officials advice to stay home if possible. If you have to go out, visit ODOT's Trip Check website for the most up to date information on road conditions and closures.

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Written By Megan Fisk

Megan is a native Oregonian who currently lives in the greater Portland area. If she’s not creative writing in her free time, or streaming the latest show, you can find her checking out one of the many craft breweries or wineries that Oregon has to offer.

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