A new major ice storm is brewing for areas from Eugene to Portland and Columbia River Gorge. Anyone with travel plans should consider a reschedule if at all possible. This could be a life threatening storm with large area power outages in the region. This new storm is on top of the recent ice storm that already impacted the area over last weekend.
Klamath Alerts continues to monitor the forecast for our local area and we are currently not expecting ice in the Klamath Falls area. More weather and travel info available in our breaking news app.
ODOT: Valley, No. Coast:
Northbound Interstate 5 may continue to be backed up for several miles in south Lane County on Monday with delays lasting two or more hours.
Although the interstate is open, the delay is so long and the forecast so severe, ODOT urges travelers to delay their trips. The coldest temperatures of this ice storm are forecast for Monday night, and freezing rain is expected Tuesday. Crews have applied more deicer and salt, and made more passes in this section with plows than they have in a decade or more. These tools are limited in this severe weather.
A major factor in the slowdown is vehicles not chaining up or stopping to chain up in the travel lanes. Law enforcement has begun to cite violators of the chain law.
Alternate routes are not viable because they are less maintained in winter weather and also impacted by this ice storm.
If you cannot reschedule your trip for later this week, bring chains and be prepared to put them on your vehicle. And be prepared for hours of delay due to severe packed ice and traffic coming to a standstill for long periods. Also, be aware that towns south of Eugene may have power failures and fuel stations could run out of fuel – or even places to park
