Slick roads, ice expected in Salem Thursday, Friday

A winter storm is expected to bring icy roads and freezing rain to Salem through Friday morning.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch due to low temperatures and high chances of ice Wednesday evening through Friday morning.

There might be up to one quarter of an inch of ice, possibly impacting commutes all day Thursday and Friday morning, according to the advisory. There is a possibility for mild snow, but it will likely not stick.

“We don’t expect this to be of the magnitude of some of those ice storms we’ve seen in the past few years,” said Chris Burling, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Portland. 

“However, travel impacts certainly could cause some issues” for commuters, he said. 

Roads, especially bridges and overpasses, will likely become slick and hazardous, the advisory said. Travel is discouraged due to road conditions and the possibility of downed trees and power lines, according to the advisory. Tripcheck.com provides real-time information on road closures and travel conditions. City of Salem road cameras show conditions on local streets.

If driving is necessary, the National Weather Service recommends having a winter emergency driving kit readily available. The kit should include flashlights, batteries, blankets, a shovel, water, non-perishable food items, tire chains and other emergency items.

The area most affected is between Salem and Albany, but the advisory applies to the entire Willamette Valley, Burling said.

Temperatures are forecasted to hit a low of 26 degrees Wednesday night and 30 Thursday night. 

There is an 80% chance of precipitation Wednesday evening and 90% Thursday. 

Downed lines should not be touched and any outages should be reported to the electric company, according to the advisory. Widespread outages are unlikely but there might be isolated pockets of lost power, Burling said. Portland General Electric and Salem Electric have real-time outage maps on their websites.

People are advised not to use generators or grills indoors for warmth, which can produce deadly carbon monoxide according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

If local schools start late or are canceled, the Salem-Keizer School District will notify families through ParentSquare and on social media channels, generally by 5:30 a.m. Late start times are two hours later than regular Thursday and Friday start times and are listed here by school. More information is on the district website.

Salem First Presbyterian Church plans to open each night this week that is below freezing, warming center coordinator Sue Crothers told the Salem Reporter Monday. The shelter space is at 770 Chemeketa St. N.E. and opens from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. 

Seed of Faith’s shelter will be open today, according to the Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action website. It’s located at 1230 Winter St. N.E. and will open from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m.

Along with a place to sleep, guests at Salem warming shelters will be offered a full warm meal and food for their pets.

For pre-recorded, up-to-date information about warming shelter openings, call Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action at 971-304-9211.

Cherriots offers free transportation to and from warming shelters, and there will be shuttles from the ARCHES Day Center to its partner shelters.People with hypothermia may not know it’s happening. It can happen in cold outdoor weather under 50 degrees, especially with wet clothing, according to the Oregon Health Authority. Its website includes winter weather preparation and health tips and recommends seeking warm locations to limit exposure on extremely cold days.

Contact reporter Alan Cohen: [email protected].

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