Windstorm topples trees, downs power lines and blocks major highways between Central and Western Oregon

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) —A powerful windstorm swept through Central Oregon Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, with winds whipping up to 60 miles per hour. The combination of strong gusts and loose soil caused by recent rain left trees toppled around the region.

Chief Meteorologist John Carroll explained, "It was kind of a perfect scenario, with the rain coming in and saturating the soil and compromising the root systems, followed by the extremely gusty winds."

Viewer Rusty Walther reported a giant juniper branch broke off at his ranch in Tumalo. Just west of the Sisters, the winds caused a 20-mile stretch of Highway 20 to close, with over a dozen trees collapsed and fallen onto the highway. Crews and bulldozers worked around the clock to get the debris cleared.

Images from Highway 26 east of Welches showed not just trees toppled, but power lines also fell, causing the highway to close overnight; crews worked to get it open by Wednesday morning. A high wind warning was in place for much of the region until 4 p.m. Wednesday, with 30-40 mph winds and gusts to 65 mph possible. A winter weather advisory was also in place for the east slopes of the Cascades, with 2-4 more inches of snow and winds gusting to 55 mph.

ODOT's TripCheck map showed a 16-mile stretch of Highway 22 in the Gates area closed by downed trees but reopened by late morning; an 18-mile segment of Highway 126 closed just east of Vida; and a 20-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 20 closed 10 miles east of Cascadia State Park. U.S. Highway 26 closed a mile east of Welches by downed power lines but was cleared and reopened by late morning.

ODOT Region 4 Public Information Officer Kacey Davey said, "Now that crews have daylight, they are continuing to assess conditions and work to safely clear trees and coordinate with utility partners to address downed power lines before the highways can reopen." For several hours, the only travel options over the mountains to the Willamette Valley were Highway 58 at Willamette Pass or north to Interstate 84.

At one point, more than 200,000 people were without power in Oregon and Washington, including hundreds in Crook County and thousands in Madras. Some power outages were reported in the High Desert region, though not to the extent of Western Oregon and southwest Washington.

Pacific Power crews responded to widespread outages affecting about 50,000 customers, with the most significant impacts in Clatsop County and the mid-Willamette Valley; some customers there may be without power overnight. ODOT pointed to widespread impacts statewide, including downed trees, fallen limbs, and downed power lines, with conditions expected to continue and possibly worsen as high winds persist.

ODOT crews worked through the night clearing debris where conditions allowed and coordinating with utility companies. Power outages affected traffic signals, highway message signs, and TripCheck cameras, with delays expected throughout the day.

Mt. Bachelor Update Amid Storm

Presley Quon, marketing at Mt. Bachelor, said, "We got about two inches of snow in the base area overnight, and it was dumping snow on my drive up to the mountain this morning. So that was really exciting." Presley Quon with Mount Bachelor says the change in the weather was welcomed for those looking to hit the slopes.

Two inches of fresh snow fell at Mount Bachelor overnight, but it's far from the two feet they need to open. Quon added, "We still don't have a new timeline for opening. We need a lot more snow on the ground to start grooming, to start getting ski patrol out on hill to mark our ski area boundaries." Teams are preparing the slopes and making snow once again near the Pine Marten lift. Quon noted, "It can change daily. So right now we're cautiously optimistic."

Forecast and Safety Warnings

KTVZ's team of meteorologists is tracking the forecast ahead and has enacted a Local Alert Weather Day for Thursday and Friday morning. Chief Meteorologist John Carroll said, "We'll have some gusty winds, but it's really about the rain that's coming in. We're setting up with a new atmospheric river that's coming right into our area. But when it gets to us, we still have plenty left. So we could see up to two inches of rain."

The National Weather Service issued a Flood Watch through Thursday night for multiple counties including Benton, Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Hood River, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Tillamook, Washington, and Yamhill, with heaviest rainfall Thursday and Friday.

ODOT safety tips include:

• Stay away from downed power lines and assume all lines are live.
• Treat intersections with dark traffic signals as four-way stops
• Use extra caution while traveling as trees and limbs may still be falling
• Slow down and watch for crews and equipment; do not drive around closure points as roads are unsafe
• Do not rely on GPS, which may direct onto closed roads; be prepared for delays or detours.

ODOT urged delaying non-essential trips. Drivers should check TripCheck.com for real-time updates.