Hwy. 26 reopens after crash on Warm Springs Reservation
(Update: Hwy. 26 reopens after crash on Warm Springs Reservation)
U.S. Highway 26 was closed for a time by a crash Monday evening on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation as a day of snowfall across the High Desert contributed to several crashes around the region.
OSP and ODOT reported the crash near milepost 83 around 5:30 p.m. Alternate routes were urged, as there were no detours available in the area. Shortly after 6 p.m., ODOT reported one lane had reopened, using flaggers to let alternating traffic through the scene. No delays were reported at the scene by 7 p.m.
A National Weather Service winter storm warning is in effect for much of Central Oregon for the 24 hours starting at 4 a.m. Monday, as forecasters predicted total snow accumulations of 3 to 6 inches and slippery road conditions.
The east slopes of the Oregon Cascades, including areas like La Pine and Sisters, are under a winter weather advisory until 10 a.m. Tuesday, for a total expected snowfall of 5 to 7 inches
Light, steady snowfall was reported across much of the region through the morning, picking up again at mid-afternoon.
A head-on crash was reported just after 8 a.m. on the Tumalo grade on U.S. Highway 20 west of Bend, but there were no serious injuries reported.
Around 8:30 a.m., a three-vehicle crash blocked some lanes at the intersection of Northeast 27th Street and Wells Acres Road.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office reported hazardous driving conditions during the morning commute and a pair of non-injury crashes on U.S. Highway 97, one near Juniper Butte and another near Ford Lane, 6 miles south of Madras.
“Please slow down and take your time,” Sheriff Jim Adkins said in a Facebook post.
Other crashes were reported as the day progressed in Bend, Redmond and a rollover off Highway 97 north of La Pine.
Five cars were involved in a crash around 6:30 p.m. Monday at a slick, sharp turn on Archie Briggs Road, Bend police said. No serious injuries were reported, but two vehicles were damaged enough to need to be towed.
The cold and snow also didn’t keep about 20 people from lining up in the wee hours before sunrise for Cracker Barrel’s Bend opening.
Mt. Bachelor reported 3 to 5 inches of snow overnight for a 68-inch depth at the West Village base and 81 inches at mid-mountain. Hoodoo, near Santiam Pass, got more than 5 inches in 24 hours for a base of about 52 inches.
Elsewhere in the state, the coast apparently got the most snow, from 1 ti 4 inches, making for the fairly rare sight of snowfall on the beach.
To the east, a closure of westbound Interstate 84 in northeast Oregon was extended west to Baker City and east to 6 miles east of Pendleton as there were no more safe areas for trucks to park in La Grande, ODOT reported.
“Emergency crews have been working to remove crashed vehicles and injured motorists, and to get stranded traffic down from the mountain pass,” ODOT reported, adding that the agency hoped to get the westbound freeway reopened by late afternoon
The slick roads also turned deadly on the coast, where Oregon State Police say a North Bend man lost control of his northbound pickup Monday morning on slushy Highway 101 and it slid into the oncoming lane, colliding with an oncoming Ford CMAX, killing driver Susan Dixon, 58, also of North Bend, and a 10-year-old girl riding with her.
NewsChannel 21 chief meteorologist Bob Shaw said back-to-back storm systems will deliver snow showers early and late in the week, into next weekend, with a break in the middle and a return of colder temperatures. Highs will top out in the low 30s and lows will be in the teens.
