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Storm may challenge Oregon's "city that works"
By Mary Hudetz, Associated Press Writer
Saturday, December 13, 2008 | No comments posted.
PORTLAND (AP) — A winter storm bearing down on Oregon may test the slogan of its biggest city, which bills itself as “the city that works.”
The weekend forecast called for high winds on the coast, blizzards in the passes and snow and rain in the towns.
So Portland city officials prepared for one of those winter interludes of vehicles slipping and sliding, especially in the hills, that usually brings calls for more snow removal equipment.
“Our message to Portlanders is we are taking this forecast very seriously,” said city Transportation Department spokeswoman Cheryl Cuck. “We don’t have resources to pay for equipment that sits in a yard for an occasional event.”
The city planned to put calcium-magnesium acetate, a substance that is an alternative to road salt, on bridges, overpasses, critical intersections and known hazard areas in the hills Friday night.
Cuck said, though, that the city cannot promise every road will be open and clear of ice.
“We will do the best we can, but there’s a limit to what we can do,” she said.
She said this year Portland faces budget cutbacks — a challenge the city didn’t have in January 2004 when a storm dropped about 7 inches of snow on Portland and brought freezing rain.
Meteorologist Rodger Nelson of the National Weather Service said the storm will bring a cold snap lasting into next week.
Forecasts show freezing daytime temperatures Monday through Thursday, Nelson said, and single digits at night in some of Portland’s outlying areas.
“That’s really cold for here,” he said. “People’s pipes might freeze up.”
A foot of snow is expected in the Coast Ranges, two in the Cascades, and 1 to 3 inches in Portland’s higher areas. Rain is expected in the lower elevations.
The Coast Guard is cautioning boaters and beach-goers to expect high winds and flooding.
The Oregon Department of Transportation warns of slick weather conditions Saturday through Monday with a potential for black ice from the Willamette Valley south to the Rogue Valley. It urged Motorists to use care on bridges and ramps, which tend to ice up more quickly than the rest of the road.
The weekend forecast called for high winds on the coast, blizzards in the passes and snow and rain in the towns.
So Portland city officials prepared for one of those winter interludes of vehicles slipping and sliding, especially in the hills, that usually brings calls for more snow removal equipment.
“Our message to Portlanders is we are taking this forecast very seriously,” said city Transportation Department spokeswoman Cheryl Cuck. “We don’t have resources to pay for equipment that sits in a yard for an occasional event.”
The city planned to put calcium-magnesium acetate, a substance that is an alternative to road salt, on bridges, overpasses, critical intersections and known hazard areas in the hills Friday night.
Cuck said, though, that the city cannot promise every road will be open and clear of ice.
“We will do the best we can, but there’s a limit to what we can do,” she said.
She said this year Portland faces budget cutbacks — a challenge the city didn’t have in January 2004 when a storm dropped about 7 inches of snow on Portland and brought freezing rain.
Meteorologist Rodger Nelson of the National Weather Service said the storm will bring a cold snap lasting into next week.
Forecasts show freezing daytime temperatures Monday through Thursday, Nelson said, and single digits at night in some of Portland’s outlying areas.
“That’s really cold for here,” he said. “People’s pipes might freeze up.”
A foot of snow is expected in the Coast Ranges, two in the Cascades, and 1 to 3 inches in Portland’s higher areas. Rain is expected in the lower elevations.
The Coast Guard is cautioning boaters and beach-goers to expect high winds and flooding.
The Oregon Department of Transportation warns of slick weather conditions Saturday through Monday with a potential for black ice from the Willamette Valley south to the Rogue Valley. It urged Motorists to use care on bridges and ramps, which tend to ice up more quickly than the rest of the road.
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