Weekend Storm Closures and Delays in Oregon and SW Washington

(SALEM, Ore.) - Here is the latest roundup of western Oregon and SW Washington closures, openings and delays. This list was created Saturday morning and is our most current at this time. Among other concerns, residents are advised to allow extra time for travel and make sure somebody knows their route and expected time of arrival. Roads are slick and temperatures are low; it is not a good time to take short cuts. Stay on main routes and continue to monitor weather reports on Salem-News.com or other sources. This list includes Businesses, Counties/Regional, Federal, Medical, Organziations, Private and Charter Schools, Private Colleges and Universities, Transportation and other categories as they may arise. Businesses: Intel: Intel is open for normal operations. It is Intel's intent to remain open during all regularly scheduled workdays regardless of weather conditions. Nevertheless, employees should use their own good judgment and assess their personal situation with regards to travel safety to and from the work site. Please note that traction devices will be required for all vehicle travel in Washington County starting at 8:00 PM Saturday night. All construction projects for Sunday, December 21st have been canceled. This cancellation applies to construction related activities only. Those with planned work for Sunday, December 21stshould check with their supervisors. UPDATE Kraft Foods/Nabisco Bakery: Plant closed 3rd shift on 12/20, and 1st, 2nd, & 3rd shift on 12/21. Stay tuned for updated information. (Effective tomorrow - Sun Dec 21st) UPDATE Banks and Credit Unions: Wells Fargo: Wells Fargo bank branches in the Portland-Vancouver metro area will close at 1 p.m. today due to adverse weather conditions.

Organizations: American Medical Response (AMR) has can canceled its Holiday Banquet scheduled for this evening. The event was to be held at Red Lion Hotel at the River, at Jantzen Beach. Close to 500 AMR Paramedics, Emergency Medical Technicians, support staff and guests from the Portland Metro area were anticipated to attend this special employee recognition event. Officials at AMR officials have begun work immediately to reschedule the banquet for a later date.

American Red Cross - Oregon Trail Chapter: TIME CHANGE & CORRECTION: Red Cross Emergency Warming Centers will be open at Portland Foursquare Church (1303 SE Ankeny) ONLY. Hours of operation are now 6:00 PM to 7:00 AM. The City's request for blankets, tarps, clothing and volunteers DOES NOT apply to the Red Cross warming center. Other area shelters are in operation and have not been at full capacity. As the emergency warming centers are for overflow purposes only, only one site is needed at this time. For more information, visit oregonredcross.org/EWC. The Red Cross is also watching Vernonia, Hood River and communities along Oregon's coast to be able to provide assistance if needed. UPDATE Dec. 21st Aurora Chorus Concert postponed: Shows will be held on Sunday, 12/28 at 4pm and 7pm at Parkrose High School. Please go to aurorachorus.org for more info. Fort Vancouver Regional Library Dist.: All Clark County libraries except Vancouver Mall are closed. Stevenson library closed. UPDATE Mittleman Jewish Community Center: Closed UPDATE Multnomah Co. Library: Closed OMSI: Closed Portland Art Museum: The Portland Art Museum is closing at 2:00 PM today. Portland Children's Museum: Portland Children's Museum is closing at 11:00 AM. Putnam Youth Basketball League: All activities canceled Saturday Academy: Saturday Academy afternoon class canceled Washington County Museum: Closed (Effective tomorrow - Sun Dec 21st) UPDATE Police & Fire: Multnomah Co. Sheriff's Office: MCSO asks everyone not engaged in essential services to stay off the roads, especially I-84 east of I-5 (officially closed by ODOT from Troutdale to Hood River). The MCSO patrol sergeant reports multiple personal and commercial vehicles stuck in snow drifts in the lanes of traffic and commercial vehicles blocking on-ramps in multiple areas. It is extremely dangerous to be on the roads at this time. Anyone having to pull off the freeway onto parking areas (such as Multnomah Fall lodge parking lots) should call friends or relatives and let them know where you are. If you are stuck at the side of the road and decide to keep your car running and lights on, make sure your tail pipe is clear of snow so as to vent engine exhaust to the outside. Also, please, unless you have an emergency, use the police non-emergency number, 503-823-3333 to report your position and condition, so as not to tie up the 911 lines. UPDATE Multnomah Co. Sheriff's Office: Multnomah County Inverness Jail is closed to visitation today, Dec 20th and tomorrow Dec 21st. Private & Charter Schools - Salem area: Willamette Valley Christian (Brooks): ALUMNI GAME CANCELLED - Will be rescheduled Willowbrook Food Pantry: in Sherwood is closed Private & Charter Schools - Portland area: Country Christian Molalla: The Country Church - All services canceled 12-21-08 (Effective tomorrow - Sun Dec 21st) Damascus Christian: Damascus Community Church closed Sunday; no services (Effective tomorrow - Sun Dec 21st) Grace Lutheran Sch. & Precious Lambs Presch.: Children's Christmas Service cancelled (Effective tomorrow - Sun Dec 21st) Huntington Learning Center - Beaverton: Closed (Effective tomorrow - Sun Dec 21st) Portland Japanese School: Closed St. Matthew (Hillsboro): St. Matthew Catholic Church, Hillsboro will have all masses and confessions as regularly scheduled. UPDATE St. Thomas More: All weekend Masses at St. Thomas More Church are cancelled. Trinity Lutheran - NE Portland: Trinity Lutheran Church - NE Portland: All Sunday morning services and evening Spanish service are canceled. Private & Charter Schools - SW Wash.: Cornerstone Christian Vancouver: Crossroads Community Church Closed for morning services. Private Colleges & Universities: Anthem College: Anthem College Christmas party canceled Art Institute of Portland: Saturday closed at 4:00 PM - Sunday closed all day Aveda Institute Portland: Closed Heald College: All campuses closed UPDATE Linfield College - McMinnville: Linfield College Fall Commencement canceled Sunday, December 21st (Effective tomorrow - Sun Dec 21st) Oregon College of Art & Craft: Closed (Effective tomorrow - Sun Dec 21st) Oregon Culinary Institute: Weekend classes canceled Pacific NW College of Art: PNCA will be open until 6:00 PM today 12/20 Phagans School of Hair Design: Closed Private & Charter Schools - Portland area: Huntington Learning Center - Beaverton: Closed UPDATE Portland Beauty School: Closed Public Colleges & Universities: Clackamas Community College: Clackamas Community College is closed Dec. 20th and Dec. 21st, and all activities are canceled. (Effective tomorrow - Sun Dec 21st) Portland Community College: Portland Community College will close all campuses and centers on Sunday, Dec. 21st, due to the snow. (Effective tomorrow - Sun Dec 21st) UPDATE Portland State University: Closed Transportation: Multnomah County: NW Kaiser Road in the west hills is closed between NW Germantown Road and NW Cornelius Pass Road due to eight-foot snow drifts. The road is expected to reopen Sunday morning after crews remove snow from the road way. All Multnomah County public facilities (including libraries and the Troutdale Animal Shelter) are closed Sunday due to inclement weather. Only essential employees should report to work Sunday. UPDATE Snow continues to fall steadily throughout Clackamas County with accumulations piling up over the past few hours and totaling as much as six inches in Oregon City and more than a foot in higher elevations throughout the county. Roads remain extremely slick. High winds are ripping through the area. Blowing snow is severely limiting visibility in some places and snow drifts in the roadways create an additional hazard. A handful of accidents were reported owing to the road conditions. All were minor and there were no reports of injuries. Driving remains treacherous and motorists should stay off the roads and avoid unnecessary travel. Road crews are dealing with downed trees in higher elevation spots in the county. But those are isolated instances for the moment. The main problem right now is the steady snow and gusting winds. About 14 crews will be out tonight dealing with the storm. Earlier in the day there were reports of fallen trees due to high winds and ice along Barlow Trail Road, Salmon River Road and Welches Road. No reports of power outages. ODOT Region 2: SALEM – Salem Parkway (Oregon 99E Business) is open following a fatal two-vehicle crash that had closed the highway from Hyacinth Street to Chemawa Road. Carry chains and expect delays if traveling through the area. Visit www.tripcheck.com for road conditions, closures and traffic cameras. UPDATE ODOT: INTERSTATE 84 CLOSED IN BOTH DIRECTIONS IN THE COLUMBIA GORGE (BETWEEN TROUTDALE AND HOOD RIVER) High winds, blowing snow, ice and crashes have forced ODOT to close I-84 through the Columbia Gorge tonight. Chains ARE STILL required on all semi trucks on all Portland metro area freeways ODOT: Chains are now required FOR ALL VEHICLES on Portland metro area highways. (A semitruck-chain requirement was announced at 9:30 Saturday morning; this now extends the requirement to ALL vehicles.) Also, Interstate 84 closed in both directions in the Columbia Gorge (between Troutdale and Hood River). High winds, blowing snow, ice and crashes have forced ODOT to close I-84 through the Columbia Gorge tonight. These restrictions will remain in effect overnight. UPDATE Clackamas Couty: Roads are treacherous in Clackamas County as a new coating of snow and ice has created extremely slick conditions. Motorists are urged to stay off the roads and avoid unnecessary travel. Reports of downed trees due to high winds and ice along Barlow Trail Road, Salmon River Road and Welches Road. No reports of power outages resulting from this. Snow is now falling steady throughout the county and winds are limiting visibility in some places. Cherriots - Salem Keizer Transit: Buses are on snow routes as follows: # 6, # 8, # 10, # 12, # 14, # 22, # 24, # 15 ON MINOR SNOW ROUTE, # 19 ON MAJOR SNOW ROUTE, # 23 ON MINOR SNOW ROUTE. Expect delays on most routes. UPDATE C-TRAN: C-TRAN Update #5 (Saturday, December 20, 2008, 5:50 p.m.) Due to severe weather and road conditions, all C-TRAN routes are experiencing delays and the following routes will remain on snow route through Saturday evening: 1) Route #2 Lincoln 2) Route #3 City Center 3) Route #9 Felida 4) Route #19 Salmon Creek 5) Route #32 Hazel Dell & Evergreen/Andresen 6) Route #39 Clark College/Medical Center Also, C-VAN, C-TRAN's reservation-based service for those with disabilities, is providing only life-sustaining trips for the balance of the service day. In preparation for Sunday morning, riders should expect weather related delays on all routes. Those listed above (#2, #3, #9, #19, #32, & #39) will begin the day on snow route and C-VAN will provide only life-sustaining trips throughout the day Sunday. C-TRAN will closely monitor conditions through the night and early morning. Riders can expect an update at 5:15 a.m. Sunday morning. Please check C-TRAN's web site at c-tran.com. Passengers can also call C-TRAN's Passenger Service Office at (360) 695-0123. UPDATE City of Sandy: City of Sandy: SAM and STAR Service Canceled Today, Due to Traveling Conditions. UPDATE ODOT Region 1: Snow chains required for large vehicles Semis or tractor trailers 10,000 GVW or more are required to use snow chains throughout the metro area. SMART Transit: Wilsonville- Buses are chained - expect up to 30 minute delays on #201 and 15 minute delays on #204. UPDATE Chains are NOT required at this time for other vehicles. ODOT still recommends motorists carry chains if they must travel today, pack extra blankets or winter clothing and have a full tank of gas. Washington County: Washington County is strongly advising drivers to use chains or other traction devices on all county roads. Snow and ice have created extremely slick road conditions. Motorists are urged to stay off the roads and avoid unnecessary travel. The Wheatland Ferry is CLOSED due to the weather. A message will be sent when the ferry is back in operation.