Bend Police warn of ‘extremely treacherous’ roads during evening commute as freezing rain hits Redmond
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Just in time for the Tuesday evening commute, Bend-area roads turned “extremely treacherous,” according to police, who urged people to stay home as a precipitation mix, including freezing rain in places, coated snow-packed streets with a sheen of ice after several frigid days.
The National Weather Service has a winter weather advisory in effect for much of Central Oregon until 4 p.m. Wednesday, even though only about a relatively paltry inch of snow is expected, along with a thin glaze of up to a tenth of an inch of ice.
“Bend roads are extremely treacherous right now,” Bend PD said in a Facebook post around 6 p.m. “If you do not need to be out and about, please stay home.”
“If you get in a non-injury crash, please move your vehicles out of the roadway and exchange information,” the posting continued. “Police have to respond to higher priority calls and may not be able to get to your non-injury accident.”
The Crook County Sheriff's Office closed SE Juniper Canyon Road for a time Tuesday night due to dangerous road conditions. It opened less than an hour later, but drivers were urged to use caution due to the icy roadway.
The east slopes of the Cascades (La Pine, Sunriver and Sisters) have a winter weather advisory until 10 p.m. Wednesday and 5-10 inches more snow possible, as well as that icy glaze and winds gusting up to 55 mph along exposed ridges.
As of 8 p.m., Redmond Airport was at 19 degrees and mostly clear, with a few hours of freezing rain having stopped an hour earlier. Bend Airport was fair at 30 degrees and the earlier light rain and snow also had stopped. Prineville Airport was at 30 degrees and also mostly clear. Madras Airport reported light snow and 12 degrees, while it was 21 in Sisters and 32 in Sunriver and La Pine.
No doubt the region's severe weather, including freezing rain in Portland, is bringing more trouble for air travelers as well. Redmond Airport's website shortly before 9 p.m. listed five of six flight arrivals as canceled, and no departures.
Fire crews also were busy responding to a string of reported water-flow alarms as temperatures in the single digits since late last week warmed toward freezing in places and frozen pipes burst and leaked. Repairs and cleanup are bound to follow.
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office reminded residents that the warming conditions could bring water or plumbing issues, or put water over the roadway from a main line break.
First responders including Oregon State Police reported black ice and sought sanding in spots.
