It was too snowy to access the slopes at some of Northwest Oregon’s best-known downhill ski areas on Tuesday, as extreme weather prompted road officials to close a nearly 20-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 26. That prompted Mt. Hood Meadows, SkiBowl and Timberline ski areas to close for the day.
Related: Check traffic conditions via the Oregon Department of Transportation tripcheck.com website.
A winter weather advisory was in effect for Cascade mountain passes above 2,000 feet elevation until midnight, and the National Weather Service said that up to 10 more inches of snow could fall during the day on Tuesday.
U.S. Highway 26 at the junction with Oregon 216. Highway 26 was closed along an 18-mile stretch, including here, on Jan. 4, 2022.
Oregon Department of Transportation webcam
The Oregon Department of Transportation said it closed the stretch of U.S. 26 from Welches to Warm Springs in response to multiple crashes and spun-out vehicles, and webcam images of the highway in that stretch showed a snowy blanket that completely hit the path of the roadway. Officials are urging people to avoid travel in the area and to prepare for changing situations, delays and additional closures.
In the early afternoon, ODOT did reopen US 26 from Rhododendron to milepost 72 on OR 216.
Further south, winter weather advisories are in effect for even longer, continuing to midday Wednesday for the southern half of Oregon’s Cascades. U.S. Highway 20 was closed for a 30-mile stretch west of the Santiam Pass, leading to long delays and extended detours for vehicles looking to cross the mountains east of Corvallis and Eugene.
To the east, road closures that shut down large portions of Interstate 84 through much of Monday were at an end. The freeway had fully reopened as of Tuesday morning.