Slick roads prompt more school closures, delays

Snow fell on top of already slick roads in parts of Central Oregon Wednesday morning, prompting more school closures and delays, as well as cancellation of several flights out of Redmond Municipal Airport.

Jefferson County 509-J schools were closed for a second day, while Culver school buses were on snow routes and Three Sisters Adventist Christian School in Tumalo was on a two-hour delay. Jefferson and Crook County circuit courts also were on a two-hour delay, opening at 10 a.m.

At 6 a.m., light snow was reported falling at Roberts Field (Redmond Airport), while it was cloudy elsewhere.

Freezing fog prompted cancellation of several flights into Redmond Tuesday night — and as a result, four departures were canceled Wednesday morning, though visibility was starting to improve. Check your airline for the latest updates or visit the flight status page at the airport’s Website at http://www.flyrdm.com/?Flight-Status .

Mt. Bachelor, meanwhile, picked up another two inches of snow overnight, pushing the base above four feet at mid-mountain and 38 inches at the West Village base.

Freezing fog and icy roads made for more dangerous driving conditions across much of the High Desert Tuesday.The slick streets before dawn prompted closure of Jefferson County and Culver schools.

A National Weather Service ice storm warning for much of the region ended early Tuesday as precipitation tapered off, but with temperatures at or below freezing and dense fog, some areas also were seeing freezing fog, along with black ice on some streets.

NWS forecasters in Pendleton later issued a freezing fog advisory for the region through 4 a.m. Wednesday, warning of visibility less than 1/4 mile at times and areas of dense freezing fog. “Freezing road surfaces will become slick and hazardous,” they warned.

The NWS also issued a winter weather advisory for 10 p.m. Tuesday to 10 p.m. Wednesday, warning of snow, sleet and freezing rain, with up to an inch of snow-sleet accumulation.

Forecasters had warned early Tuesday of “a wintry mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain this morning,” and advised drivers to “be prepared for hazardous road conditions and poor visibility due to snow and freezing fog.”

Around 8:15 a.m. Tuesday, ODOT reported Highway 97 was closed north of Madras by a crash in freezing rain involving a semi blocking the road. The highway was closed south of Madras earlier in the morning due to freezing fog. The highway reopened in the late morning at Cow Canyon, but ODOT urged continued driver caution amid lingering icy conditions.

Shortly before 5:30 a.m., Oregon State Police and ODOT responded to a crash of a semi pulling double trailers on Highway 58 near milepost 78 and Willamette Pass, nine miles west of the Highway 97 junction, OSP and ODOT reported.

A preliminary investigation indicated icy roads may have been a factor, as the semi driver lost control and one trailer separated, then tipped over, blocking the road.

OSP Lt. Josh Brooks said the rig reportedly was hauling cargo that may have included a hazardous material. As a precaution, the road was closed and haz-mat teams called in. But Brooks said later crews on scene confirmed no hazardous materials were released. The road reopened Tuesday afternoon.

ODOT Region 4 spokesman Peter Murphy said the truck’s contents reportedly included a titanium compound that could burn on exposure to the elements.. SMAF Environmental and a state haz-mat team were called out, he said.

Elsewhere, a non-injury rollover crash of a pickup was reported in the area of Highway 97 and La Pine State Rec Road.

And Tuesday afternoon, a pickup struck a tree on Saddleback Drive and Johnson Road northwest of Bend as roads in the area got slippery. During the Tuesday evening commute, a multi-car crash occurred at Third Street and Powers road on the south end of Bend.

Mt. Bachelor reported three inches of new snow — but also some overnight rain that saturated some slopes, though temperatures at mid-mountain stayed above freezing.

As cars, trucks and other vehicles, slipped, slid and crashed on icy High Desert highways Monday morning, the National Weather Service issued a rare ice storm warning for much of the region and urged residents to avoid driving if possible.

“A mix of rain and freezing rain is expected through tonight,” the NWS in Pendleton said. “Ice-covered roads will cause very treacherous driving conditions. Avoid travel if you can.”

Crashes likely tied to slick streets were reported in numerous spots across the region Monday morning, including a 3-vehicle crash that shut Highway 97 southbound for a time about five miles south of Redmond. Highway 126 was closed by a crash into a pole that downed lines near 67th Street, about three miles west of downtown Redmond. No serious injuries had been reported, according to Deschutes County dispatchers.

An injury crash occurred in southeast Bend, near 15th Street and Reed Market Road, where black ice was reported during the morning commute.