Slick, snowy conditions may create dangerous travel conditions in Eastern Oregon over next few days
Ice, snow and freezing rain may all conspire in the days ahead for extremely hazardous traveling conditions in many parts of Oregon.
ODOT does not recommend driving in extreme conditions.
And while extreme conditions haven’t arrived in Hermiston so far, snow has fallen and more is on the way, although the National Weather Service is predicting less than an inch.
Travelers need to use caution and observe a few common sense rules for navigating hazardous weather conditions.
• Get safely situated. Don’t wait until after a storm hits to get on the road. Get to your destination before conditions turn nasty and unsafe.
• Travel smart. Consider waiting until a storm passes to get on your bike or in your car. Or work from home all day.
• Look out for each other. If you must drive, remember people walking or biking are harder to see in a storm. If you’re biking or walking remember that cars don’t stop quickly on snow and ice.
• Leave early. It’s smart to allow plenty of time to get where you’re going. In severe weather, closures and crashes can cause long delays.
• Know before you go. Plan your route. Visit Tripcheck.com in advance to look at ODOT cameras and check conditions.
• Don’t abandon your vehicle. It prevents us from clearing the road and emergency services from getting to the people who need them.
• Beware of outages. If a storm knocks out power to traffic signals, treat intersections like an all-way stop. The driver who stops first goes first.
• Watch for plows. ODOT sand trucks, plows and deicer trucks can’t clear roads clogged with traffic. The more traffic stays off the road, the quicker roads can be treated. Stay at least three car lengths back. Everybody benefits the sooner they can get the road cleared.
ODOT crews will be out on the road 24/7 throughout the winter season, but they still can’t be everywhere at once. Please be patient and plan for travel delays during icy, snowy or limited visibility conditions.
ODOT will closely monitor Interstate 84 through the Columbia River Gorge, where high winds are expected along with snow, ice and freezing rain. If conditions become unsafe, sections of the freeway may be closed. Plan for delays and wait out the storm in a safe location.
Also keep in mind that GPS navigation tools may not take into account weather and road condition when identifying detour routes around closed highways. Stay on main routes and don’t venture onto roadways that are unfamiliar to you and may not be serviced in wintertime.
