'Avoid traveling Friday night': Crews prep for snowy roads in Oregon and Washington
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Transportation agencies in Oregon and Washington are gearing up for a potential snowstorm this week and they’re sharing tips for staying safe on the roads.
Officials advise people to stay home or plan to remote work, if possible, in the days ahead to lessen the chances of people getting stuck on the road should the snow start to stick around the major metro areas.
A taste of what may come has already hit to the higher elevations in Washington County, with reports of their snow zones getting splashed with a lot of slush.
Beginning Thursday night, Washington County crews will start 24-hour coverage. Portland and Southwest Washington crews will be on standby beginning Friday morning.
The current state of the weather is something of a calm before the potential storm so crews are preparing with their plows, deicing and sand trucks ready to respond. However, officials warn there are only so many roads crews can get to so it is smart to assume one’s neighborhood is probably at the bottom of the priority list.
“Our Washington DOT crews like to say 'we stay ready' so we don't have to get ready and we ask travelers to do the same,” said Sarah Hannon-Nein, of Washington State Department of Transportation Southwest Region.
Chris Lunenburg, of Washington County, said the primary routes crews are focusing on clearing include high-traffic roads.
“Roads that connect important buildings like hospitals, law enforcement facilities, fire departments, things like that to make sure we are keeping our community safe through the duration of the storm,” Lunenburg said.
“Stay home Friday and Saturday by making a plan to telework Friday, avoid traveling Friday night,” added Dylan Rivera with the Portland Bureau of Transportation.
Last February, a foot of snow fell on the metro area, leaving in its wake countless cars on the road that were abandoned. Fines for abandoned cars left on travel lanes have increased in Portland this year so it could be a financially smart decision to plan on staying home for that reason, too.
Weather is hard to predict, making it uncertain whether it will even snow at all in Portland and how much of it there will be. However, it seems certain that a cold front is coming regardless, so any of the white fluffy stuff that does show up may be hanging around for a while.