A winter storm is coming, and it’s going to be very cold. There are going to be warnings for a lot of different places, and we should all be prepared.
A warning has been issued for a winter storm that is expected to affect a large area of northwest Oregon, including the entire Willamette Valley. The biggest impacts are expected in the foothills and the mountains.
There will be a lot of cold and wet weather this week, which means that there is a good chance for snow in the Willamette Valley. This could delay some school classes on Tuesday, particularly in areas with higher elevations.
Warning issued for Salem and Mid-Valley
A warning has been issued for a winter storm that is expected to affect Salem, McMinnville, Woodburn, Stayton, and Dallas.
The weather is going to be cold and snowy. There is likely to be snow at the valley floor and up in the mountains. The warning will end at 6 p.m. on Tuesday.
“Plan for slippery road conditions,” wrote NWS. “The hazardous conditions could affect morning or evening commutes.
Snow can be very heavy and wet, meaning that it can be difficult to shovel. If snow accumulates on the ground, it can block pathways and cause power outages.
Warning issued for Eugene and south valley
There is a warning for a winter storm in Eugene, Springfield, Corvallis, Albany, and Lebanon. The rest of the southern Willamette Valley may also get snow and ice.
A lot more snow is expected until around 1 p.m. on Tuesday. This means that there could be a lot of snow on the ground, and it might be pretty high up too.
“Plan for slippery road conditions,” NWS wrote. “Hazardous conditions can affect morning commutes. The snow is heavy and wet, posing a hazard to snow shovelers. and can lead to isolated power outages.”
Advisory issued for Portland
In the greater Portland area, we’re getting an inch of snow, except in some outer suburbs.
The advisory is in place until 6 p.m. on Tuesday.
New winter storm warning issued for mountain and foothills towns
The National Weather Service has issued a warning for snow in the Willamette Valley and the mountain foothills, with a chance of up to 6 inches of snow. This mostly affects higher-elevation towns in the area, like Mill City and Sweet Home outside of the center of the Willamette Valley, as well as McKenzie Bridge and Oakridge outside of Eugene.
The heaviest snow will be around and above 1,000 feet.
The warning is in place until 6 p.m.
Mountain roads and passes
The high mountain elevations above 1,500 feet are predicted to see snowfall of 4 to 8 inches with winds up to 35 mph. This means that travel will be difficult in areas such as Santiam Pass, Willamette Pass, and through the Mount Hood area.
Warming shelter status
The homeless organizations in Salem didn’t expect the temperature to drop below freezing on Monday night, so they didn’t plan to open warming shelters.
We expect warming shelters to be activated on Tuesday night.
In the past seven days, the Salem warming network operated emergency warming shelters to help people stay warm during cold weather.
In that time period, we provided 582 emergency shelter beds for people who needed them, serving 324 unique guests. In addition, we provided 353 daytime day center utilization opportunities for people who needed them.
The shelters are looking for volunteers to help them keep the shelters warm in the winter. More information about the Salem Warming Network can be found at www.mwvcaa.org.
Lane County will activate its pop-up emergency shelter on Tuesday night and stay open until Thursday night. Volunteers are needed to work shifts during this time, but the shelter will not be officially announced until 5 p.m. the day before it activates.
The centers run by St. Vincent de Paul in Lane County get set up when the temperature outside gets really cold or really hot. Volunteers help out for a four-hour shift, doing things like setting up the center and working in the evening or during the night, or helping to clean it up in the morning.
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