Eugene, Lane County winter weather to continue with cold ahead of more freezing rain

As Eugene and the rest of Willamette Valley attempt to dig out from a long weekend of snow and ice and frigid temperatures, weather forecasts were predicting a much-needed dose of clear sky for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

On the other hand, temperatures were expected to barely reach above freezing and residents were already bracing themselves for what could be another round of freezing rain on the horizon.

With the rough weather still taking its toll on the region, here are the latest updates from Eugene and the surrounding region:

The weather is expected to be cold and dry through early Tuesday when a low-pressure system from the southwest is forecast to bring freezing rain into Wednesday.

High temperatures are anticipated to return to the upper 40s or low 50s on Wednesday, with rain in the Willamette Valley and snow in the Cascades, for the rest of the week.

A total of 0.2 to 0.3 inches of ice is forecast Tuesday in the central and southern Willamette Valley. The ice is expected to begin in the morning and last into the evening. It’s less than Saturday’s ice totals that reached a half-inch in some places, but enough to have widespread impact.

“We’ll definitely have some possibility of power outages, tree damage and slippery roads,” said Jacob Hall with the National Weather Service in Portland. “The good news is that we’re not forecasting strong winds.”

Late Sunday, tens of thousands of Oregonians in the northwestern part of the state were without power and a multitude of highways and roads were closed, due to fallen trees and power lines.

Wind and snow and ice downed trees and power lines across northwestern Oregon over the weekend, knocking out power and prompting the closure of numerous roads.

Portland General Electric said tree limbs and debris brought down more than 816 of its distribution power lines and damaged multiple transmission lines.

“Given the extent of the damage and the high level of outage events, restoration efforts will continue into the week and customers are encouraged to plan accordingly,” PGE said in a statement.

• Lane Transit District: Bus services are suspended until further notice.
• Lane Community College: Closed until further notice. The men’s and women’s basketball games against Chemeketa Community College have been postponed.
• City of Eugene Parks: Immediate closure, caution advised near trees.
• Eugene Airport: Numerous flight cancellations and delays.
• University of Oregon Campus: Closing at 8 p.m. Saturday, reopening at 10 a.m. Monday. The Women’s Basketball game will be played but will be closed to the public.
• Willamalane Parks: Closed until further notice.
• PeaceHealth: All specialty clinics, walk-in clinics, and urgent care will be closed tomorrow. Most elective surgeries will be rescheduled. Other hospital operations will continue.
• Cascade Health: closed today and tomorrow except for the Pete Moore Hospice House.
• Willamette Valley Cancer Institute and Research Ctr.: Closed Monday.
• Slocum Orthopedics: Closed today and tomorrow.
• MLK Jr. Marches: Both the Martin Luther King Jr. Day march planned in Eugene and the one planned in Springfield are canceled.
• Deerhorn Road: Closed west of Booth Kelly Road due to falling trees and downed power lines.
• McKenzie View Drive: Closed due to falling trees.
• OR-126: Closed from Poodle Creek Road, Cheshire to Indian Creek Road, Swisshome due to hazardous trees or vegetation.
• OR-36: Closed from Poodle Creek Road, Cheshire to Indian Creek Road, Swisshome due to hazardous trees or vegetation.
• OR-99: Closed from E Saginaw Road to Lynx Hollow Road due to hazardous trees or vegetation.
• Marcola Road: closed from Bowman Road to County Line Road due to fallen trees.
• Territorial Highway: closed south of milepost 42 due to fallen trees.
• While not closed, state officials have warned of multiple crashes due to icy conditions on I-5 from miles 167-172 (Cottage Grove area)

The Egan Warming Centers will be open tonight and tomorrow night and they will remain open until 11 a.m. tomorrow morning instead of the usual 8 a.m. All sites are accessible to people with disabilities and to pets.

Egan Warming Center locations are:

• Springfield Memorial Building
  • 765 A St, Springfield
  • Doors open at 6:30 p.m. 
• Transportation Hub at First Christian Church
  • 1166 Oak Street, Eugene
  • Shuttles will run from 6 p.m. to midnight 
• Trinity United Methodist Church
  • 440 Maxwell Road, Eugene
  • Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
• South Hills at the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection
  • 3925 Hilyard St, Eugene
  • Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
• Wheeler Pavilion at Lane Events Center
  • 796 W 13^th Ave, Eugene
  • Doors open at 10 p.m., a late opening

The Egan program is also seeking donations of gloves and blankets. It is looking for about 200 blankets and as many gloves as people can donate. People willing to travel are asked to bring donations to 888 Garfield Street in Eugene.

Watch the ice storm arrive in Eugene

A time-lapse of from Friday, Jan. 12, 2024 afternoon until Saturday morning as a layer of snow and ice coat Eugene’s College Hill Neighborhood.

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The Oregon Department of Emergency Management activated the State Emergency Coordination Center for state agencies and nonprofit partners to share life safety resources, including activating 211 to support warming shelters in several counties.

“If you or someone you know needs a place to stay warm, call 211 or visit 211info.org to find open warming centers in your area; 211 also offer and coordinate transport services to and from warming centers,” the agency said.

Emergency Management encouraged people to stay home, stay informed, have an emergency plan and stock an emergency kit.

Oregonians can sign up for local emergency alerts at oralert.gov If you have moved, you should update your information.

The agency said a basic emergency supply kit in case the power goes out includes the following items:

• Enough water for one gallon per person per day for several days, for drinking and sanitation.
• Several days’ supply of non-perishable, easy-to-eat food such as peanut butter, protein and granola bars, jerky, nuts, fruit, pretzels, crackers, beans and rice.
• A manual can opener.
• A battery-powered or hand crank radio or a weather radio.
• A flashlight with extra batteries.
• A first-aid kit.
• Sleeping bags or warm blankets.

NW Natural on Saturday evening asked customers to conserve gas during the storm “by lowering thermostats as much as you can comfortably and safely manage,” minimizing hot water usage and turning off non-essential appliances, to help prevent strain on utility systems.

“We are seeing increased usage by utility customers across our region due to frigid temperatures, which are expected to continue into next week,” NW Natural said in the notice to customers.

Modest efforts to conserve gas “can make a big impact in helping the entire energy system navigate this extreme weather event,” said Kim Rush, NW Natural’s chief operations officer.

Rush said the company’s gas system is operating safely at full capacity and field teams ready to respond to customer needs.