For a complete list of delays and closures, visit KLCC's "Closings" page.
The Eugene area was spared a worst-case scenario on Thursday, as a winter storm blanketed the region with snow but largely didn't cause power outages or significant travel difficulties.
Most schools in the central and southern Willamette Valley were closed for the day, and officials urged drivers to stay off the roads unless they had urgent business. Still, by mid-afternoon, many roadways were wet, but not icy.
"Road conditions are improving every moment," Oregon Department of Transportation spokesperson Mindy McCartt said during a press briefing at 3 p.m. Thursday. "We don’t have any real concerns south of Salem right now. But our crews are out monitoring and assisting in any way they can to keep the roads clear.”
McCartt said cooling temperatures in the evening could prove challenging, however.
"Just because conditions were fine when you left (home), doesn't mean they'll stay that way," said McCartt. "Weather can change rapidly, so we are asking everyone to be prepared."
Few power outages were reported across Oregon on Thursday, but the potential for disruption is not over. The National Weather Service says freezing rain could fall overnight before temperatures begin to rise in the morning. It could mean that snow and ice remain throughout the day on Friday.
“It takes a lot of energy out of the atmosphere to melt all that snow and ice, so it'll just be a sort of a slow process to see all that snow and ice completely disappear off of trees and and off of roads,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Colby Neuman.
The situation was generally worse in the Portland area and the Columbia Gorge. Oregon State Police say they responded to at least 8 crashes on Interstate 84 near Multnomah Falls on Thursday, sending at least four people to the hospital with minor injuries. Police said the total number of vehicles in the incidents was unknown.
Snow-ducks and snowballs
Meanwhile, the snow provide a welcome break from class for some University of Oregon students, who enjoyed the first snowy day of the school year.
Snowmen and snow-ducks of all shapes and sizes dotted campus, as students sledded down slopes and threw snowballs at each other.
"We've seen just everybody outside their sorority or their fraternity houses, running around, playing music," said UO freshman Bennett Chafer. "Everybody's super happy.”
Near the EMU, freshmen Jake House and Adnan Wunderlich were trying to build the biggest snowman on campus.
House said he’s from southern California, so weather like this is unfamiliar to him.
“I moved from New Jersey when I was about 7, 8-ish," said House. "This is the first time I've seen snow in a decade.”
Wunderlich said he’s from the Bay Area, and had never built a snowman before.
Unlike at many schools across western Oregon, Thursday wasn’t a complete snow day for UO students. Classes resumed at noon.
