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The snow rather caught Portland by surprise yesterday, with most forecasters not predicting snow until afternoon, when it was almost upon us. Even then, at first they expected only a sprinkling, and then one inch, and then up to three! And surprisingly, snow is still on the ground this morning in Parkrose. Forecasters had said the snow would turn to rain last night, so I expected the snow to be gone by morning. Most things are running normally, though. Neighborhood buses are on normal schedules, although there may be delays. Trimet does have list of buses in other areas that are affected by the snow. KGW.com has a short list of closures and delayed openings. Last night, Portlanders experienced severe traffic delays, with even short commutes running two to three hours. Problem spots included the I-205/I-84 interchange and the intersection of NE 102nd and Halsey, where police closed the intersection briefly around 7:00 p.m. due to a traffic accident. Fortunately for students and teachers, most of the Arctic Blast/Snowpocalypse took place during the winter break. However, students in east county did miss three days of school during the last scheduled week of school in December. The state of Oregon requires districts to provide a minimum amount of instruction each year, ranging from 810 hours to 990 hours (depending on grade level). School districts are allowed to waive up to 14 hours due to severe weather. David Douglas School District has told KGW TV that they will not (barring further snow days) be extending the school year. They already had enough school days planned into the schedule to cover the required number of hours. Parkrose superintendent Karen Gray told the EastPDXNews that the Parkrose District is still within its alloted amount of time off as well. Portland Public students on the east side missed only three days of school, but students on the west side missed up to five. According to the Oregonian, the district isn't sure whether they will be...
Gateway Fred Meyer is open today, after yesterday's roof collapse due to heavy snow and drainage problems. The 30-foot by 30-foot section of roof collapsed over a stock room, and not over main portions of the store, although the store did experience some flooding due to snow coming in through the collapsed section and a broken sprinkler line. The store is open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., 7 days a week. 
The big thaw is well underway. I was surprised to see how much snow melted overnight! My husband, Steven decided to go pick up some donuts and a few other things from Gateway Fred Meyer, but when he got there, he was greeted by emergency vehicles and waved away from the parking lot. We found out later, from KATU, that part of the store's roof had collapsed! No one was injured, but KATU reports that the store is closed for the time being because of fears that other portions of the roof could fall in. I was unable to reach the store by phone for more information. Very few closures are reported today, since most roads are clearing and it's Saturday anyway. Most Tri-Met lines are running as normal (but don't forget that it is Saturday). The City of Portland is asking residents to help by clearing sidewalks and storm drains/catch basins so that melting snow can drain off properly and prevent flooding.
Hope you had a wonderful Christmas Day! We stayed home all day. I'd say we had a quiet day at home, but we have three children. We're hoping to get out today to see the grandparents. We can get out - I took the car out on Christmas Eve, and only got stuck getting back into our own driveway. And the main streets are OK, but Mom says their neighborhood in SE is pretty difficult still. Things around town are getting better, but there are still closures and delays in place, especially for Tri-Met. Tri-Met MAX Blue line and Red Line are both running their full lengths, every 20 minutes. Yellow line is running only between the Rose Quarter and Expo Center, every 20 minutes. Lines 22, 23, 25, 27 are still canceled. 15-Belmont: No service on Mt Tabor. Buses use Glisan between 39th and 82nd. 33-Fremont: No service on Fremont between 27th & 35th or east of 82nd; 92nd; Benjamin; Halsey or 102nd north of Pacific (if you can figure out what that means, I'm impressed). Line 71 is running again. Garbage/Recycling Service I contacted...
Happy Christmas Eve! Snow fell overnight and is falling again, with freezing rain predicted for later this afternoon. With that, many churches have either canceled Christmas Eve services or changed the service times. I'll list those I know about below, but if your church isn't listed, be sure to call someone to confirm before you try to go out. Or, if you know about a closure that isn't listed here, email me at kathleen@parkrosegateway.com or tweet me at @parkrosegateway, and I'll get it posted. These updates are local to Parkrose/Gateway; for information about the greater Portland area, check with one of the local news stations. I will update around noon with any additional closures, since some decisions have not been made yet. Tri-Met MAX Blue line trains are running every 15 minutes. Red line trains ARE now running, but only between Gateway and the airport. You will have transfer to or from a Blue line train at Gateway. Yellow line trains are not running and have been replaced by shuttle buses. 15-Belmont:...
I'm a little late, but everything was pretty much the same today! PDOT was able to plow and sand secondary routes like NE 111th today, but we're still stuck because our tire chains did not work. The rubber bands used to tighten the chains properly were old and snapped. We're also expecting a few more inches of snow before Christmas, apparently! These updates are local to Parkrose/Gateway; for information about the greater Portland area, check with one of the local news stations. Tri-Met MAX blue line is running every 15 minutes. MAX Red line is now running all the way to the airport. Lines 22, 23, 25 and 27 have NO service today (I'm quite annoyed by that, as I live on and use line 23). 15-Belmont is running, but does not cross Mt. Tabor (uses Glisan instead). Expect delays. 77-Broadway/Halsey: No service on Halsey between 82nd and 102nd (buses use Stark and Washington). No service east of 257th in Troutdale. County Offices All county offices, clinics, and libraries are closed, except for the McCoy Building Health...
We woke up this morning to several more inches of snow! My husband shoveled us out yet again, but we're not attempting to drive anyway. Our neighbor with a 4WD went to Winco and says that lots of cars are stranded out there, and we really shouldn't attempt it without 4WD and chains. We've only got the chains. Snow is still falling as I write, so it's only going to get deeper (although snow is blowing around as well). These updates are local to Parkrose/Gateway; for information about the greater Portland area, check with one of the local news stations. Tri-Met MAX blue line is running every 15 minutes. MAX Red line is running between downtown and Gateway; shuttle buses are running between Gateway and the airport. One shuttle bus goes directly between Gateway and the airport with no stops; others stop at the usual MAX stops. Lines 22, 23, 25 and 27 have NO service today (I'm quite annoyed by that, as I live on and use line 23). 15-Belmont is running, but does not cross Mt. Tabor (uses Glisan instead). Expect delays....
If you can see out the windows or listen to the news, you know that Portland is still in the grip of severe winter weather. Parkrose, being close to the river, has been experiencing especially high winds and cold temperatures. Local authorities have requested that people keep vehicles off the roads unless it's absolutely necessary to drive. Chains are required on all major highways, including 82nd Avenue (Hwy 213), Powell Blvd (Hwy 26), I-84, I-205, I-5, etc I-84 is closed in both directions between Troutdale and Hood River. No detour is in place (I don't see a closure for the old/scenic highway, but I imagine it's not advised unless you live there) SR-14 on the Washington side is also closed from milepost 18 to milepost 65 (45th Street to White Salmon). Some Tri-met buses have been canceled for the day. Locally, Tri-met Line 77 reports no service on Halsey between 82nd and 102nd (buses use Stark and Washington). No service E. of 257th in Troutdale. Visit http://www.trimet.org for more information. The following...
School days were hit and miss throughout the Portland area during the week of December 15. Some schools, like Skyline Elementary in Portland, were off all week due to snow and ice, giving students an extra week of winter break. In east county, schools went back and forth. For most districts, including Parkrose and David Douglas, school was out on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, but in on Tuesday and Thursday. In addition, many evening events, including annual holiday programs, were canceled or postponed. For instance:
For information about other postponements, please contact your local school. In the end, most schools were closed on Friday, December 19, officially giving students and staff an early start to their winter break. 
Snow is the big news in Portland this week. Do you have any snow pictures or snow stories? Be sure to post them here! Rev. Chuck Currie of Parkrose Community United Church of Christ captured some snow shots on his blog, also. |
