PORTLAND, Ore. — Dangerously cold weather and high winds set in around the Portland metro area on Saturday, with temperatures below freezing throughout the Willamette Valley. The bitter cold and winds came from an arctic blast that's bringing frigid temperatures, high winds, snow, sleet and freezing rain to the area.
There have been three reported deaths related to the storm, one person from a suspected case of hypothermia and two others due to trees that came down on a house and an RV.
Temperatures fell into the teens Saturday, but wind chills brought those temperatures down below zero. Snow and ice brought down numerous trees across the Portland area, resulting in hundreds of thousands of people losing power throughout the day.
KGW Chief Meteorologist Matt Zaffino said the winds should start to back off around midnight Saturday, though the cold will stick around for multiple days.
A lot of sleet throughout the day kept the snow accumulation totals down through Saturday evening. Zaffino said the snow should end around 10 or 11 p.m.
Sunday will be cold and breezy, but the sun will come out, Zaffino said.
Multnomah County declared a state of emergency Friday, prior to the storm's arrival. Mayor Ted Wheeler declared a local emergency Saturday due to the winter weather impacts to the Portland-metro area, his office said Saturday. Lake Oswego and Newport also declared a state of emergency Saturday.
Three deaths reported
On Southeast 105th Avenue just north of Harold Street, a tree fell on a parked RV, taking down power lines with it, and started a fire. Portland Fire & Rescue said that one person was dead and another injured. Two more people escaped unharmed. Fire officials believe the tree striking the RV caused a stove that was being used for warmth to ignite the vehicle. It was engulfed in flames when fire crews arrived.
In Lake Oswego, a person died after a tree fell on a house in the Southwood area due to high winds on Saturday morning. The tree crashed through the second floor, killing an elderly man, confirmed Lake Oswego Fire Marshal Gert Zoutendijk.
The Multnomah County Medical Examiner's office said Saturday that it was investigating one hypothermia death since the declaration of a state of emergency Friday for dangerously cold temperatures. The person died Saturday in Portland, according to the medical examiner's office, but there were few other details released publicly.
Storm damage
Amid strong winds, downed trees and power lines have been reported around the area.
Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) responded to a tree that fell on a tent in the area of Southeast 94th Avenue and Southeast Gladstone Street. The agency said three people were reportedly trapped inside the tent because of fallen tree limbs, but firefighters were able to get everyone out. PF&R said one person had minor injuries.
A tree was knocked down near the intersection of Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard and Northeast Laurelhurst Place, just north of Laurelhurst Park. The tree fell on top of a powerline, but it's unclear if that caused any power outages in the area. Crews have since removed the tree.
In Southeast Portland, a tree came down on a house along Southeast 167th Avenue and Bush Street. It's unclear if anyone was injured.
On Martha Street in Southwest Portland, a massive tree fell onto the home of a family, crashing into their bedroom. They were able to escape unharmed and said they are at a family member's home across the street.
In the Cedar Hills neighborhood, deputies said that a tree fell on an apartment complex, causing the collapse of two units. Luckily, there were no reported injuries.
The Washington County Sheriff's Office encouraged anyone displaced as a result of the winter storm to contact 211 or Red Cross Disaster Services at (503) 284-1234 for assistance.
PHOTOS: Downed trees across Oregon as winter storm hits
The Portland Police Bureau (PBB) reported that officers out on a call Saturday afternoon on Southeast 76 and Morrison when a tree fell onto the patrol car. Officers were not inside, and no injuries were reported.
Meanwhile, in Lake Oswego, police and fire department have responded to at least 70 instances related to the weather and downed trees since 7 a.m. More than 100 trees have fallen throughout the city during the day.
"Today, we have had at least around 20 different trees fall onto homes, which is very rare. I have never seen this many in my 25-year career here at Lake Oswego Fire,” said Gert Zoutendijk.
In Newport, one person was taken to hospital because of a tree falling on homeless camp, and multiple injuries have been reported due to downed trees, according to the Newport Police Department.
Power outages
About 200,000 customers were without power across the northern valley.
At around 8:30 p.m., PGE's outage map showed there were about 3,051 active outages impacting more than 136,061 customers.
At 4 p.m., PGE's outage map showed there were about 2,782 widespread outages impacting more than 160,000 customers across the northwest part of the state. Portland General Electric said as of Saturday evening, nearly 400 personnel are "working to assess damage and restore service." Most of the outages are due to trees or tree limbs falling on power lines, the agency said.
Pacific Power reported more than 36,000 customers without power in western Oregon, and Clark Public Utilities reported about 6,600 customers without power, as of about 4 p.m.
Road closures
Police and traffic crews have intermittently needed to close roads for downed trees and power lines or accumulating snow and ice. For major routes, ODOT's TripCheck has current conditions.
Ten roads are currently closed in Clark County as of Saturday evening. Closures are expected to remain in place overnight.
Springville Road and Northwest Greenleaf Road in west Multnomah County are closed due to downed trees and power lines as of early Saturday evening, said Multnomah County Communications Office.
ODOT said late Saturday morning that Highway 101 was closed in both directions at the junction with Highway 26 between Seaside and Cannon Beach due to hazardous road conditions. Freezing rain was making the roadway slippery, causing trucks without chains to lose traction or jack-knife.
Road crews were spreading sand on the highway to restore traction, but ODOT said it would take time to reopen.
While the Astoria-Megler Bridge and Youngs Bay Bridge in Astoria were temporarily closed due to freezing rain, ODOT said that they'd been reopened around 1 p.m.
"Snow and ice are affecting roads in lower elevations across northwest Oregon, including Portland and the Willamette Valley," the agency said. "Coastal areas are seeing heavy rain, freezing rain and cold temperatures. Reschedule your travel if possible."
Multnomah County officials said that multiple county roads were closed due to downed trees and power lines. Southeast Troutdale Road was closed between Division Drive and Strebin Road, while Northeast Brower Road was closed in the 1800-block.
Springville Road and Northwest Greenleaf Road in west Multnomah County were closed later due to downed trees and power lines.
In Washington County, deputies closed Northwest Laidlaw Road from Northwest 140th Avenue to Lakeview Drive for a downed power line. The agency said Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue, PGE and NW Natural were on-scene.
"Deputies are prepared and ready to respond to any emergency, but it is icy outside and we urge you to stay indoors for safety," the sheriff's office said.
Public transportation impacts
Transportation agencies around the region, including the Portland Bureau of Transportation, have urged people to stay off the roads due to icy road conditions. They're urging anyone who needs to travel to take public transportation.
Amtrak train service between Portland and Seattle is being rerouted as a result of significant weather conditions, as of Saturday evening, according to a spokesperson from Amtrak.
As of Saturday afternoon, TriMet announced that all MAX train services are suspended due to the weather.
"We are attempting to provide shuttle buses where possible, but riders should expect long delays and use regular bus service or other transportation. Those who can avoid traveling at this time should do so," the agency said.
Portland Streetcar announced around 10 a.m. that the Tilikum Crossing was closed due to accumulating snow and ice. Streetcars were being turned back at both Riverplace and OMSI.
By late Saturday morning, TriMet said that all MAX lines were experiencing delays and disruptions due to freezing temperatures and high winds. Downed trees have also blocked tracks in some areas.
"Shuttle bus service may be provided, if possible," the agency said. "All buses are traveling more slowly due to the weather conditions and chains. MAX riders may want to consider using local bus service to avoid long delays."
TriMet said that it was beginning to put heavy chains on all of its buses and shuttles, but they won't be able to travel faster than 25 miles per hour. Almost all of the agency's buses have drop-down chains that will work until heavy chains are installed.
Several bus lines have been detoured due to downed branches, trees, power lines or slick conditions. Line 32-Oatfield service is suspended.
"The extreme cold, coupled with snow, sleet and wind, is creating challenges throughout the region including to TriMet service," the agency said. "Our message to riders is this: If you must travel, please plan ahead. Give yourself extra time and dress for dangerously cold conditions. Make sure your phone is charged and always check trimet.org/alerts before you go."
Riders can visit TriMet's website for the latest information on service.
This is a developing story and it will be updated.