Tens of thousands of people remained without power in the Pacific Northwest after a winter storm blanketed the region with ice and snow and made travel treacherous.
The weather is changing just slightly Sunday in the greater Portland area. An ice storm warning was set to take effect at 1 p.m. Sunday. The National Weather Service has that warning in place until 6 a.m. Monday. Forecasters say Sunday could bring another 2 inches of snow, and a 1/4-inch of ice. Overnight, another half inch of ice could form. Conditions remain extremely dangerous, and residents are advised to stay home unless absolutely necessary.
Temperatures in the Portland region were predicted to slowly rise over the next couple of days, with lows mostly in the low 30s Sunday night, and rising to 40 to 45 degrees Monday. Rain and freezing rain Monday morning will gradually shift to rain in the afternoon.
Portland General Electric said Sunday that about 189,000 customers remain without service on Sunday morning. At peak, about 253,000 PGE customers were affected Saturday. At least 4,000 PGE power lines have been brought down by ice and tree limbs, and multiple transmission lines have been severely damaged, the utility said.
The power outages in the Portland region could extend throughout the weekend for some, said Elizabeth Lattanner, a spokeswoman for PGE.
“In storms like these, restoration takes time given all of the challenges our crews face in getting to restoration sites and repairing those outages,” Lattanner said on Saturday. “We have more than 600 PGE and contract personnel responding to the storm — it’s all hands on deck.”
The extreme conditions, loss of power and transportation problems prompted Oregon Gov. Kate Brown to declare a state of emergency for the greater Portland area Saturday afternoon.
“Crews are out in full force now and are coordinating with local emergency response teams on communications for emergency services, such as warming centers,” Brown said in a statement. “I’m committed to making state resources available to ensure crews have the resources they need on the ground.”
Winter storms and extreme cold affected much of the U.S. West, particularly endangering homeless communities. Volunteers and shelter staffers were trying to ensure homeless residents in Casper, Wyoming, were indoors as the National Weather Service warned of wind chill reaching as much as 35 degrees below zero over the weekend. Authorities in western Washington and western Oregon opened warming shelters in an effort to protect homeless residents from the wet and cold.
The ice and snowfall caused treacherous driving conditions, forcing the regional transit agency TriMet to suspend all bus and train service in the region at one point Saturday. A note on their website Sunday morning says that “bus, MAS and LIFT service is limited. ... Portland Streetcar service is suspended.” Check their alerts webpage for the latest.
Eastbound lanes of Interstate 84 are again open between Troutdale at exit 17 and Hood River at exit 62. ODOT closed that 45 miles of highway at 9 p.m. Friday because of blowing snow, icy roads and strong winds. Crews worked through the night Saturday night using plows, graders and snow blowers and the road can safely open again.
Portland International Airport was reporting dozens of canceled flights Sunday afternoon. Check here for the full list.
Police in Salem, Oregon, also warned residents in Marion and Polk counties to watch for downed power lines and falling tree limbs, and the Oregon State Police said fallen trees blocked several roads across the region.
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Some Washington residents were also socked in by the weather, with snow falling throughout the Seattle region Saturday and freezing rain falling along the coast in Grays Harbor County.
The Washington State Patrol reported a large accident on Interstate 90 east of Seattle involving 15 collisions. Three vehicles rolled over, but apparently there were no serious injuries.
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Sunday morning said that the airport was open and operating. There have been a number of cancellations, however, so flyers are encouraged to check with their airlines before heading to the airport.
Heavy snowfall also led to dangerous driving conditions in parts of eastern Oregon and southwestern Idaho, with Malheur County, Oregon, and Boise, Idaho, expected to get as much as 6 inches of snow by Saturday afternoon.
The National Weather Service said all three states should brace for another surge of winter moisture to hit Sunday night, potentially leading to more heavy snowfall through Monday. The “unsettled winter conditions” would likely continue throughout the week, the National Weather Service said Saturday morning.
The heavy snow made for dangerous avalanche conditions in the many areas across the Olympics and Cascades mountain ranges, with large avalanches possible. Officials with the Payette Avalanche Center in west-central Idaho also warned of increasing avalanche risk in the days ahead.
Idaho’s neighbors to the east were blasted by brutally frigid weather, with the National Weather Service warning of dangerous wind chills in Montana and Wyoming. The wind chills were expected to reach as low as 50 degrees below zero in Billings, Montana.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff /
Charlie, no last name given, works to remove limbs from a large oak in front of his home in Southwest Portland, Feb. 13, 2021.
Liz Duncan /
Snow covered homes near Rock Creek Trail in Hillsboro, Feb. 13, 2021.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff /
Dan Forester takes his cross country skis to the roadway, in Southwest Portland, Feb. 13, 2021.
Nora Ames /
Katie Brown, ambushes her brother Sam with a shovel of snow in Beaverton, Feb 13, 2021.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff /
Daisy, 13, doesn't look like she's thrilled by her sleigh ride, as she is towed by her owner Christy McCardle, in Southwest Portland, Feb. 13, 2021.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff /
A hummingbird heads towards a feeder in Southwest Portland, Feb. 13, 2021. Hummingbirds can endure cold snaps as long as they have fresh, and unfrozen food available.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff /
A duck snow sculpture is left atop a mailbox in Southwest Portland, Feb. 13, 2021.
Rachel Snow /
Piknik Park food cart pod in Sellwood, Feb 13, 2021.
Michael Bendixen /
Freezing rain encapsulates a camellia bloom in SE Portland, Feb 13, 2021.
Jan Boyd /
Trees snapped under the weight of ice and snow and gusting winds in West Linn, near Salamo Rd. at Cascade Summit, Feb 13, 2021.
Jan Boyd /
Trees snapped under the weight of ice and snow and gusting winds in West Linn, near Salamo Rd. at Cascade Summit, Feb 13, 2021.
Ann Suckow /
A snowplow clears eastbound Rosa Parks Way towards Vancouver Blvd., Portland, Feb 13, 2021. Snow and ice from the recent storm has made for hazardous driving conditions in the Portland metro area.
Nora Ames /
An eyeless snowman in Beaverton, Feb 13, 2021.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff /
A trio pushes a car spinning out near the Sunset Transit Center in Portland, Feb. 12, 2021. The National Weather Service announced one inch of snowfall at its Portland office as of early Friday morning. Accumulation totals vary across the region.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff /
Terry Waitrovich, left, and his wife Mary Faupel use hiking poles for balance as the walk along Barnes Rd. in Portland, Feb. 12, 2021. The pair hiked to their COVID-19 vaccination appointment instead of driving in the snow.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff /
Door Dash driver Nalik Jackson of Portland struggles to put on snow chains in Beaverton, Feb. 12, 2021, so he can complete a food delivery. The National Weather Service announced one inch of snowfall at its Portland office as of early Friday morning.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff /
A pedestrian braces against the wind and snow as they walk along Barnes Rd. in Portland, Feb. 12, 2021. The National Weather Service announced one inch of snowfall at its Portland office as of early Friday morning. Accumulation totals vary across the region.
Conrad Wilson /
A jogger runs through the snow across the Burnside Bridge in Portland, Feb. 12, 2021.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff /
Kurt Spies pushes his son seven-month-old son Luke along a path in Portland, Feb. 12, 2021. Portlanders got the dusting of snow they were promised from a series of Pacific storms. The National Weather Service announced one inch of snowfall at its Portland office as of early Friday morning. Accumulation totals vary across the region.
Conrad Wilson /
Downtown Portland in a dusting of snow, Feb. 12, 2021.
Erik Corrington /
Odin, 1, an American Akita, bounces in the fresh snowfall near Prineville, which has received several inches of snow in the past 24 hours.
Bradley W. Parks /
A person walks to their car in the Mountain View neighborhood of Bend, Ore., Friday, Feb. 12, 2021, after a day's snowfall.
Bradley W. Parks /
A person hikes up Pilot Butte in Bend, Ore., Friday, Feb. 12, 2021, after a day's snowfall.
Monica Samayoa /
The corner of N. Mississippi Ave and N. Failing St., looking north in Portland, Feb. 12, 2021. The National Weather Service announced one inch of snowfall at its Portland office as of early Friday morning. Accumulation totals vary across the region.
Jule Gilfillan /
Black bamboo stalks along Johnson Creek are coated in ice in Milwaukie, Feb 12, 2021. The National Weather Service announced one inch of snowfall at its Portland office as of early Friday morning. Accumulation totals vary across the region.
Monica Samayoa /
A view of the I-5 looking northbound in Portland, Feb. 12, 2021. The National Weather Service announced one inch of snowfall at its Portland office as of early Friday morning. Accumulation totals vary across the region.
Jule Gilfillan /
Looking through an iced over window in Milwaukie, Feb 12, 2021. The National Weather Service said the next storm will arrive Friday night and bring a high possibility of significant freezing rain in the Coast Range, Willapa Hills, the Central Willamette Valley and perhaps across the southern Portland metro.
Jule Gilfillan /
Apples remaining on a tree are covered in ice and snow, in Milwaukie, Feb 12, 2021. The National Weather Service announced one inch of snowfall at its Portland office as of early Friday morning. Accumulation totals vary across the region.
Monica Samayoa /
Sledding at Overlook Park in Portland, Feb. 12, 2021. The National Weather Service announced one inch of snowfall at its Portland office as of early Friday morning. Accumulation totals vary across the region.
Ann Suckow /
A person wearing a unicorn onesie walks west on Rosa Parks Way over I-5 in Portland, Feb 12, 2021. The National Weather Service said the next storm will arrive Friday night and bring a high possibility of significant freezing rain in the Coast Range, Willapa Hills, the Central Willamette Valley and perhaps across the southern Portland metro.
Elizabeth Miller /
A porch table serves as an unofficial snow measurement in Southeast Portland, Feb 12, 2021. The National Weather Service said the next storm will arrive Friday night and bring a high possibility of significant freezing rain in the Coast Range, Willapa Hills, the Central Willamette Valley and perhaps across the southern Portland metro.
Ann Suckow /
A person wearing a unicorn onesie walks west on Rosa Parks Way over I-5 in Portland, Feb 12, 2021. The National Weather Service said the next storm will arrive Friday night and bring a high possibility of significant freezing rain in the Coast Range, Willapa Hills, the Central Willamette Valley and perhaps across the southern Portland metro.
Rebecca Morris /
A large tree snapped, taking out some power lines at NE 50th Ave and NE Alameda St. in Portland, Feb 13, 2021.
Liz Duncan /
A fashionable snowman, in Hillsboro, Feb. 13, 2021.
