The temperatures have dropped and precipitation came in the form of mostly freezing rain for many Oregonians over the evening. The National Weather Service issued a storm warning in effect until 4 PM Friday. Elevations 2,000 feet and below could see an additional one-tenth to three-tenths of an inch of ice, with higher elevations seeing slightly less.
State officials warn of falling trees, and possible power outages, as well as difficulty traveling. ODOT is urging people to stay off of the roads.
Major Road Closures And Delays
I-84 remains closed between exits 17-64 until road conditions improve. Hood River predicted to possibly see an inch of snow, and ice accumulation of up to three quarters of an inch, with wind gusts of 75 MPH. Hood River will remain in a winter storm warning until 10 PM Saturday.
#pdxtraffic Mike, I hope you've got plenty of coffee. Looks like you're not going anywhere for a while. 🙁 https://t.co/bn85YJ7Kt3
— PDX Traffic Alerts (@TrafficPortland) December 23, 2022
TriMet has also temporarily suspended all MAX lines as of Friday morning. TriMet said in a news release that many trains were getting stuck. Bus service has been reduced to "frequent service only", and buses are running with heavy-duty chains, which means they can travel no faster than 25 MPH. For information on public transit disruptions, delays and cancellations click here.
The Astoria Megler Bridge is also closed, as it is iced over, and hazardous for drivers.
The Astoria Megler Bridge is closed due severe winter weather conditions.
We're working 24/7, but with freezing temps & more precipitation in the forecast, it is advisable to stay home until conditions improve. @OregonDOT #travel #holiday pic.twitter.com/LwRYCMRe6a— WSDOT SW (@wsdot_sw) December 23, 2022
Holiday Airline Travel
Alaska Airlines and Horizon canceled all flights in and out of PDX and Se-Tac until at least noon today as the ice storm hit -- and the impacts are evident in cancellations, delays at Redmond Airport as busy holiday travel ramps up. https://t.co/czGmeIfwMz
— KTVZ NewsChannel 21 (@KTVZ) December 23, 2022
If you have any plans of flying out of PDX or the Eugene Airport, make sure to check your flight status. 278 flights have been canceled into and out of PDX as of noon Friday.
Alaska Airlines announced it canceled all flights out of PDX and SEA-TAC airports until noon, as the runway remained icey. You can check your flight status here.
Power Outages
Some Oregonians woke up this morning without power, with over 7,000 people in Tigard, Troutdale, and some areas of SE Portland. An additional estimated 5,200 people were without power in mostly Astoria and Lincoln City. So far those numbers remain relatively low, for the severity of the storm that hit.
Check Road Conditions
With winter storm warning to remain in effect for much of Oregon into the evening, officials advice to stay home if possible. If you have to go out, visit ODOT's Trip Check website for the most up to date information on road conditions and closures.
