As the weekend’s spate makes way for possible freezing rain and the National Weather Service warns of a Sunday night ice storm, the Oregon Department of Transportation had until Monday morning one piece of advice for motorists.
“Stay home, stay safe and off the road for now,” spokeswoman Gary Leaming said.
Officials did not say how long this warning would last, but that motorists should monitor TripCheck before planning outings. The weather service predicts the temperature will reach the 1940s on Monday afternoon.
The agency predicts an overnight low of 32 degrees with a 100% chance of precipitation in the Portland area. The agency expects between 1/10 and 3/10 of an inch of ice to accumulate.
According to the weather forecast, the rainstorm should rain after Monday around 08:00.
The cold weather of the weekend forced officials to keep three shelters and warm-ups in Portland area open for a fourth consecutive night, in addition to shelters that were open all season.
Government Kate Brown issued a state of emergency in nine provinces on Saturday, including all three in the Portland metro area.
Road closures and traffic disruptions were high. And cut-off power lines and transformer blasts left nearly 236,000 Oregon households without power Sunday at 5 p.m.
About 300 Pacific Power workers on Sunday helped restore electricity to about 22,300 customers in the Willamette Valley and the north coast, the company said in a statement. Pacific Power reported that nearly 18,000 households were still without electricity and Portland General Electric counted approximately 218,000 of its customers without power.
Pacific Power said some of its customers in rural communities outside Salem will only recover their power on Tuesday night.
Clackamas County officials report several roads have been closed due to cut or low utility lines and trees. The state Department of Transportation closes Oregon 99 northward from Canby to Milwaukie due to icy conditions, as well as Oregon 224 from the junction to Oregon 224 near Sunnyside Road to about three miles west of Eagle Creek.
The agency also requires motorists to wear chains or tow their vehicles with towbars on Interstate 84 through much of the Columbia River Gorge, from Troutdale to just west of the Rowena off-ramp. The Portland Bureau of Transportation similarly issued chain advice for West Burnside Street between Southwest Barnes Road and Northwest 23rd Avenue as well as Southwest Sam Jackson Park Road.
By all accounts, the weather service in some parts of Portland reported a total congestion of nearly 7 inches.
Wilshire Park gained about 6.5 inches by Sunday morning. Mt. Tabor got 5.5 inches. The weather service reported that even lower elevations saw some of the white stuff – the Sellwood neighborhood saw about 5.4 inches.
The continuing icy weather on Monday led to numerous closures.
The Oregon legislature has postponed all cases originally scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, including a vote on whether to suspend President Diego Hernandez from the House. Portland State University has closed its campus for the day, though virtual classes will go according to plan.
U.S. post offices as well as federal, provincial and city buildings are closed Monday, although the closures are related to Presidential Day. Portland State University also announced that its campus will be closed Monday.
–Eder Campuzano | 503-221-4344 | @edercampuzano | Eder on Facebook
Eder is The Oregonian’s education reporter. Do you have a tip about Portland Public Schools? Email [email protected].