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Fedoralover, are you OK? Portland looks like a mess. Geesh, MK was just there. And Dalexs, you got of Dodge in time to miss this.
Check out this article:
http://news.statesmanjournal.com/article_print.cfm?i=73384
Storm batters Oregon
Portland virtually is shut down by the wintry conditions.
ANDREW KRAMER
The Associated Press
January 7, 2004
PORTLAND ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äù Snow turned from an object of delight into an instrument of gridlock in what climatologists called the worst storm west of the Cascades in a decade.
Thousands of passengers were stranded in Portland, after more than 330 flights were canceled. Many were forced to sleep at Portland International Airport, where runway conditions were among the worst in recorded history, said Port of Portland Spokeswoman Elisa Dozono.
Seven inches of snow were enough to nearly bring the state?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s largest city to a halt.
Portland?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s light-rail commuter train skidded to a stop on icy rails, interrupting service. Chains were strapped onto city buses, but there were long delays. Because many commuters left their cars at home, some buses were so crowded that they had to pass by riders who had been waiting at bus stops for an hour and more.
The NBA also postponed a matchup between the Trail Blazers and Memphis Grizzlies, the first time weather has ever stopped a Portland home game.
Across northwest Oregon, dozens of school districts declared a snow day, including the large districts in the Portland metro area.
Swirling snow and temperatures dipping into the teens also forced Oregon State, Portland State and Western Oregon universities to close.
Snowstorms are a rarity in the Willamette Valley. But with storms that have swept through beginning Dec. 28, the region is having its snowiest, coldest winter since 1992-3, said state climatologist George Taylor.
The National Weather Service said temperatures dropped to 24 degrees in downtown Portland Tuesday morning, beating a record low of 28 degrees for this date set in 1974.
Elsewhere in the state, Astoria and Salem got 3 inches of snow on Tuesday and Pendleton expected 6 to 8 inches by Wednesday morning, according to the National Weather Service. Forecasters predicted blizzard-like conditions in Eastern Oregon locations such as Union and Cove.
In Union, 3-year-old Adrian Carter died of hypothermia after he sneaked outside to play in the snow early Tuesday. The Oregonian reported that the boy?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s father noticed him missing at about 3:30 a.m., with the temperature sitting in the single digits. The boy was taken to a La Grande hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The frigid temperatures also stalled cars and trucks, and the freezing rain made roads treacherous in many parts of the state.
Transportation officials closed both directions of Interstate 84 through the Columbia River Gorge from Troutdale to Hood River. Interstate 5 between Roseburg and Cottage Grove was also closed for several hours.
At least a half-dozen other highways were closed because of ice, mudslides and poor visibility.
The region?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s troubles may not end with the snow.
Temperatures were forecast to rise after the storm, bringing the threat of flooding as the heavy mountain snowpack melts, according to the National Weather Service.
Check out this article:
http://news.statesmanjournal.com/article_print.cfm?i=73384
Storm batters Oregon
Portland virtually is shut down by the wintry conditions.
ANDREW KRAMER
The Associated Press
January 7, 2004
PORTLAND ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äù Snow turned from an object of delight into an instrument of gridlock in what climatologists called the worst storm west of the Cascades in a decade.
Thousands of passengers were stranded in Portland, after more than 330 flights were canceled. Many were forced to sleep at Portland International Airport, where runway conditions were among the worst in recorded history, said Port of Portland Spokeswoman Elisa Dozono.
Seven inches of snow were enough to nearly bring the state?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s largest city to a halt.
Portland?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s light-rail commuter train skidded to a stop on icy rails, interrupting service. Chains were strapped onto city buses, but there were long delays. Because many commuters left their cars at home, some buses were so crowded that they had to pass by riders who had been waiting at bus stops for an hour and more.
The NBA also postponed a matchup between the Trail Blazers and Memphis Grizzlies, the first time weather has ever stopped a Portland home game.
Across northwest Oregon, dozens of school districts declared a snow day, including the large districts in the Portland metro area.
Swirling snow and temperatures dipping into the teens also forced Oregon State, Portland State and Western Oregon universities to close.
Snowstorms are a rarity in the Willamette Valley. But with storms that have swept through beginning Dec. 28, the region is having its snowiest, coldest winter since 1992-3, said state climatologist George Taylor.
The National Weather Service said temperatures dropped to 24 degrees in downtown Portland Tuesday morning, beating a record low of 28 degrees for this date set in 1974.
Elsewhere in the state, Astoria and Salem got 3 inches of snow on Tuesday and Pendleton expected 6 to 8 inches by Wednesday morning, according to the National Weather Service. Forecasters predicted blizzard-like conditions in Eastern Oregon locations such as Union and Cove.
In Union, 3-year-old Adrian Carter died of hypothermia after he sneaked outside to play in the snow early Tuesday. The Oregonian reported that the boy?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s father noticed him missing at about 3:30 a.m., with the temperature sitting in the single digits. The boy was taken to a La Grande hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The frigid temperatures also stalled cars and trucks, and the freezing rain made roads treacherous in many parts of the state.
Transportation officials closed both directions of Interstate 84 through the Columbia River Gorge from Troutdale to Hood River. Interstate 5 between Roseburg and Cottage Grove was also closed for several hours.
At least a half-dozen other highways were closed because of ice, mudslides and poor visibility.
The region?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s troubles may not end with the snow.
Temperatures were forecast to rise after the storm, bringing the threat of flooding as the heavy mountain snowpack melts, according to the National Weather Service.
