Hundreds of thousands without power in NW snow, ice storm; I-84 still closed

Gov. Brown declares state of emergency in 9 counties

LAKE OSWEGO, Ore. (AP) — A winter storm has blanketed the Pacific Northwest with ice and snow, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without power and prompting Oregon Gov. Kate Brown to declare a state of emergency.

Freezing rain left roads, power lines and trees coated in ice in the Portland region. By Saturday morning, more than 1,200 power lines were down, leaving 270,000 people without power.

Snow was expected to continue falling in Washington, Oregon and Idaho on Saturday, with more wet weather expected Sunday night.

Meanwhile, Montana and Wyoming were blasted with artic cold, the wind chill reaching as low as 50 degrees below zero in some areas.

ODOT said Interstate 84 will remain closed in the Columbia River Gorge at least through Saturday night as conditions remain hazardous with blowing snow and frozen roads.

ODOT said it will evaluate the highway again Sunday and will reopen the road when it is safe to do so. 

At 9 p.m. Friday, ODOT closed I-84 between Troutdale at exit 17 and Hood River at exit 62 because of blizzard conditions including high winds, blowing snow and ice. Gorge winds diminished Saturday, but significant sections of the road remain blocked by snowdrifts.

ODOT is deploying numerous vehicles from around the region to the Gorge. These include plows, graders and high-capacity snow blowers that will be working through the night to clear the snow. 

Hood River truck parking is full with about 500 trucks waiting at the Port of Hood River for the road to re-open.  Truck parking is rapidly filling up in The Dalles and Biggs Junction as well. Vehicles waiting for the re-opening of I-84 should get safely situated to wait out the closure. 

Governor Kate Brown Declares State of Emergency in the Willamette Valley Due to Severe Winter Weather

Declaration applies to Benton, Clackamas, Hood River, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Washington, and Yamhill counties

 (Salem, OR) — Governor Kate Brown today declared a state of emergency due to severe winter weather that has resulted in heavy snow and ice accumulation, high winds, critical transportation failures, and loss of power and communications capabilities.  

"The weather that set in yesterday and continued overnight has left extensive damage with hundreds of thousands of Oregonians without power," said Governor Brown. "Because of windstorms, utility crews were not able to safely start work on restoring power until this morning. Crews are out in full force now and are coordinating with local emergency response teams on communications for emergency services, such as warming centers. I'm committed to making state resources available to ensure crews have the resources they need on the ground."

Pursuant to ORS 401.165, Governor Brown determined that a threat to life, safety, and property exists due to severe winter weather. The Governor's declaration authorizes the Oregon Office of Emergency Management (OEM) to activate the state's emergency operations plan, and to utilize personnel, equipment, and facilities from other state agencies in order to respond to or mitigate the effects of the weather emergency. In addition, the Oregon National Guard, Oregon State Police, Oregon Department of Transportation, and the Oregon Public Utility Commission and other state agencies are directed to provide any assistance as requested by OEM that is deemed necessary to assist in the response. 

A copy of the declaration, Executive Order 21-02, is available here.
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