Rare Portland, Valley snow, ice make for for big mess

A rare snowstorm brought Oregon’s largest city to a halt on Wednesday, with thousands of vehicles barely able to move on Portland streets and on one of its main highways. Ice was the big problem in the Willamette Valley, with chains or snow tires recorded on I-5.

Commuters began leaving work early, hoping to beat the storm, but they quickly found themselves on streets that were clogged with traffic that was inching along on snow-slick streets.

Cars fish-tailed, spun out, and collided. Motorists, some with their kids in their cars, who had made scant progress tried to keep their patience. After more than three hours of waiting, some abandoned their vehicles and started walking. Others hoped they wouldn’t run out of gas.

Some Portland-area students were stuck on buses or at schools.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reported (https://goo.gl/wHP1T3 ) buses from Portland Public Schools were trapped in traffic and that there had been an unspecified number of buses involved in crashes.

Interim Chief Operating Officer Courtney Wilton told the newspaper he had not heard of any injuries in those accidents.

A school bus carrying Scouters Mountain Elementary students spun out amid snowy conditions on Southeast 152nd Drive near Misty Drive in Happy Valley.

Principal Kevin Spooner said all children were safe.

Portland Public Schools said on Twitter that at about 8:45 p.m., a few buses were still working to get students home after a snowstorm paralyzed traffic around the city. The district also said on Twitter that all schools and offices would be closed Thursday, as did many other area districts.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports (https://goo.gl/zKTdg2 ) a Portland woman captured a video of a school bus sliding down a hill and into other vehicles near her apartment complex just after 5 p.m. Wednesday. It wasn’t clear if any students were on the bus.

The Portland Bureau of Transportation said 11 roads were closed due to ice, a landslide and trees that were down.

The National Weather Service said a major ice storm was also hitting in Eugene. The City of Eugene said ice-laden trees had led to over a hundred calls about downed trees and power lines.

Multiple news outlets were reporting dozens of cars abandoned by drivers while the Oregon Department of Transportation imposed a chain or traction tires requirement on Interstate 5 from Albany to Portland.

Portland city officials declared parking meter amnesty, allowing drivers to leave their cars parked overnight without penalties.