A blizzard warning went into effect early Tuesday morning in the Cascades in Oregon and Southwest Washington.
High winds will be coupled with heavy snow falling at as low as 1,500 feet elevation.
The National Weather Service says travel in the mountain passes will be extremely difficult Tuesday and Wednesday.
Wind gusts up to 45 mph and snow falling at up to 2 inches per hour will lead to whiteout conditions. The blizzard warning remains in effect through Wednesday afternoon.
Weather alerts are active in nearly all parts of Oregon over the next few days, including winter storm warnings covering most of Southern Oregon and wind advisories in the Willamette Valley and Eastern Oregon.
The Oregon Department of Transportation says its crews are prepped and ready, but they’re urging people to postpone or cancel travel if possible. Even in lower elevations, heavy rain, wind, ice and some snow will complicate driving.
If you do travel, ODOT advises using tripcheck.com to see what the conditions are like where you need to go and look at forecasts to see what's coming. Give yourself extra time to reach your destination.
- Make sure you have a capable vehicle with traction tires and chains. Many areas in the coming week may require chains to travel.
- Have good windshield wipers and a full charge or tank of fuel.
- Pack an emergency kit including food, water and warm clothes in case you are delayed or a road closes. One crash or downed tree can close a road for hours.
- Consider using public transportation to get where you need to go - leave the driving to a professional.
- If you are out walking or rolling during the storms, help drivers see you by wearing bright colors.
- Give everyone, especially our plows, extra space in snowy or icy conditions.
