Pendleton, Oregon – Travel across eastern Oregon and southeastern Washington could become extremely dangerous beginning early Tuesday as a powerful winter storm brings prolonged heavy snow, strong winds, and near-whiteout conditions to the Blue Mountains and eastern Cascade slopes. Drivers heading through mountain corridors are urged to delay travel as conditions deteriorate quickly after daybreak.
According to the National Weather Service in Pendleton, a Winter Storm Warning remains in effect from early Tuesday morning through Thursday afternoon for the Northern Blue Mountains of Oregon, the Northwest Blue Mountains of Washington, and the eastern slopes of the Oregon and Washington Cascades. Snow totals are expected to range from 12 to 30 inches in the Blue Mountains, with even higher amounts of 16 to 35 inches possible along the east slopes of the Cascades. Wind gusts could reach 45 mph, producing blowing snow and sharply reduced visibility.
Communities and travel routes near Meacham, Tollgate, Ski Bluewood Resort, La Pine, Sunriver, Sisters, Roslyn, and Cle Elum are likely to see the most severe impacts. Heaviest snowfall is expected Tuesday morning through Tuesday evening, a window when travel may become very difficult to impossible. Gusty winds may also bring down tree branches and power lines, increasing the risk of outages.
Emergency officials strongly recommend avoiding mountain travel, carrying winter survival kits if travel is unavoidable, and reporting any downed power lines. The winter storm warning remains in effect through Thursday afternoon, with hazardous conditions expected to persist until snowfall tapers late in the week.
