ODOT works to clear snow, downed trees across Oregon after Arctic blast

After an Arctic front brought snow and some freezing temperatures across Oregon on Saturday, the Oregon Department of Transportation says they have crews working to clear roads covered with snow, and ice, and in some cases, downed trees and power lines.

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – After an Arctic front brought snow and some freezing temperatures across Oregon on Saturday, the Oregon Department of Transportation says they have crews working to clear roads covered with snow, ice, and in some cases, downed trees and power lines.

During an 8 a.m. press conference on Sunday, ODOT Spokesperson Kacey Davey said conditions are starting to stabilize in the Portland, Gorge, and Mt. Hood areas, adding, "we’ve hopefully seen the last of the precipitation, at least in the metro area, for the next day of two."

Over 130 ODOT TripCheck cameras are down as of 11 a.m. Sunday, mostly in Portland, due to power outages or fiber optic cable disruptions, Davey said.

ODOT crews are actively plowing roads in the Portland metro area where they say temps are very cold, however wind and precipitation have stopped as of Sunday morning. Davey pointed out salt and de-icer do not work as well when temperatures are 20 degrees or colder.

Many trees and power lines remain down in the Portland area, Davey said, furthering, "we’re working closely with the power companies to get this cleaned up as fast as possible, but in the meantime, please stay away from all downed power lines and never drive over downed power lines. Report them immediately if you see them down."

Several downed trees and power lines have shut down roads across the state, including Highway 26, which is shut down from the Oregon Zoo to the tunnel. Davey said they will reopen the highway as soon as possible.

Highway 26 near Powell, has re-opened after crews cleared downed trees near 156th and 157th, ODOT said.

Additionally, a section of Highway 226, west of Barton, remains closed for downed trees and power lines, according to officials, noting the area should open soon.

“The next day or two will hopefully begin to warm up and crews will be out in force working to clean up the roads and get them in the best shape as possible. If you don’t need to travel, staying home is the best place for you to be to give our crews and emergency responders space to continue cleaning up the area,” Davey said. “If roads begin to melt during the daytime, cold temperatures will still be happening at night, and that means things could re-freeze. So, you could get ice or black ice.”

Davey added, "we're closely watching the forecast. It looks like we could have more ice coming in on Tuesday. So, that being said, all of our crews are staying on 12-hour storm shifts. This will keep the most people on the roads possible and won't leave any gaps between shifts."

Crews in the Mt. Hood area reported temperatures around 21 degrees around 10 a.m. with packed snow and ice covering the roads.

“With temperatures that are this cold, the roads are going to remain snow- and ice-packed,” Davey warned. “Some snow flurries are expected to be happening today up over Mt. Hood, but hopefully nothing like we’ve seen in the last day or so.”

There are no closures in the area as 8 a.m., officials said, however some mountain resorts may be closed.

For drivers planning on heading to the area, ODOT urges drivers to be prepared, pack an emergency kit, use chains, or snow tires, and expect delays or closures.

In the Gorge, crews reported cold and windy conditions Sunday morning in the Cascade Locks and Troutdale areas. ODOT said crews grated roads overnight and were sanding slick areas Sunday morning.

Additionally, visibility has improved in the area, after ODOT said Interstate 84 had 20-50 feet of visibility Saturday afternoon. Davey said conditions in the area are "stable" as of Sunday morning.

Throughout the storm, crews put salt on the roads in layers, ODOT said, noting “when temperatures start to rise a little bit, the salt will activate and it will start to break up the snow or ice pack. That’s a great thing, it means that we’re working to get the roads clear, but it will create times of heavy slush on the roads. So, crews will be out there scraping the slush as soon as they can, but be prepared that you could encounter that as temperatures start to rise through the Gorge.”

Albany and Corvallis are seeing icy roads, officials said. Lane County is also seeing icy roads, with I-5 closed south of Eugene because of a semi-truck crash. OR 99 south of Eugene is closed because of downed trees, ODOT said.

Some roads on the coast could remain closed for days because of downed trees, officials said. ODOT will hire contractors to help with tree cleanup but are still assessing damage and working closely with power companies, Davey said.

In the Cascades, a conditional closure over Santiam Pass was lifted as of 11 a.m., after previously only letting drivers with chains through, officials said, adding there is still a lot of ice and snow so, it's best to be prepared with chains and snow tires.

ODOT warns that conditions may change and says another storm system could bring more snow in the next couple of days.

"If you don't have to travel, please stay home. If you do have to go out, be prepared, give yourself extra time, slow down, leave extra space between vehicles -- or extra stopping distance -- and have an emergency kit in your car. Even if you're just going to the other side of town, you still could have delays. It's still a good idea to have snacks, and water, and warm clothes in the car with you in case your journey is delayed," Davey said. "Make sure to leave home with a full charge or a full tank of fuel, and pack your chains and know how to use them."

Davey pointed out that almost a dozen ODOT vehicles have been hit by drivers during this storm across the state.

"These incidents highlight the challenges our staff face while they're working to provide safe travel during inclement weather. Never pass a snowplow on the right. If the plows are actively working, they're going to be driving slower than the posted highway speeds, but this likely means that you should be driving slower," Davey said. " Our plows will pull over to let you pass when it's safe to do so. Please do not pass a plow ever. Many of the hits to our vehicles have happened as people try to pass and they clip the wing of the plow as they start to come back into the front. So, please give our crews extra space to work."

Typically, ODOT is able to move crew shifts to fill gaps during storms, but were unable to do so this time because of a lack of resources, Davey explained. However, ODOT will receive $19 million from the legislature, so the department can authorize overtime for staff and have more people working to clear the roads.

"We do need to address our structural revenue issues moving forward, so we can have guaranteed funding to hire staff in the future," Davey said. "That's something we'll be working closely with our partners, so that we can hire more permanent staff. But for right now, what we have is all hands on deck and crews working the extra shifts and putting extra time in on the roads."