ICE STORM UPDATES: Your guide to Salem conditions on Thursday

Last updated 1:35 p.m. Thursday

The Salem Public Library, Center 50+, Salem Housing Authority and the city’s Permit Application Center are closed on Thursday. 

Marion County offices will close at 2 p.m. Thursday, according to Marion County spokesman Jon Heynen. The closure was also announced on Facebook.

Late Thursday morning, Cherriots announced it is suspending transit service for the rest of Thursday and all of Friday due to icy conditions. Six routes currently in service departed transit centers for their final trip at 11 a.m.

The Salem Municipal Court and customer service at the Civic Center Plaza will remain open. 

“All essential services, including police, fire, emergency response, street, water, and wastewater services will continue to operate regardless of weather conditions,” the city of Salem said in a news release Thursday morning. Most city services are available online.

CITY SERVICES

• Non-emergency line: 503-588-6123
• Report road, water or sewer concerns: 503-588-6311
• Customer Service Center: 503-588-7272; [email protected] 
• Salem Public Library: available for customer calls from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 503-588-6315 
• Center 50+: [email protected]; Marion Polk Food Share’s Meals on Wheels will not deliver meals on Thursday or Friday “out of an abundance of caution,” according to the city statement
• Permit Application Center: 503-588-6256; [email protected]

HEALTH CARE

Salem Health is closing its urgent care in Salem at 3 p.m. and offering only virtual appointments until 8 p.m., the health care provider said on Facebook.

Other primary care clinics are shifting to virtual appointments by 1 p.m. Thursday. Phone lines will remain on during business hours.

On Friday, Feb. 14, all clinic appointments will be virtual in the morning and urgent care will follow normal hours. Salem Health Occupational Medicine will open late at 10 a.m.

Bridgeway Community Health’s outpatient services are closed. Detox and residential services remain open.

STREET CLOSURES

Interstate 5 southbound was closed for about an hour at milepost 248 in south Salem due to a disabled vehicle creating a hazard, according to TripCheck. The closure was reported at 11:31 a.m. and the road has since reopened.

According to a Facebook post from the Salem Police Department, the following streets are currently closed:

• Eola DR NW is closed between Kingwood DR & Edgewater ST NW
• Madrona ST is closed between 12th & Pringle STS SE
• Box Canyon ST SE between Summit View & Mountain Vista AVS
• Bluff AV SE between Ratcliff DR & Heather LN
• Lyman LN SE between Vista AV and Lyman AV
• Joseph ST S between Croisan Scenic WY & the dead end
• Lorian LN SE between Lyman AV & Ratcliff DR
• Salem Heights between Crestview & Sunridge
• Biegler LN S between Chandler DR & Madrona AV
• Hillside LN SE between Lyman AV & Ratcliff DR
• Lyman AV SE between Hillside LN & Lyman LN
• Chandler DR S between Azalea & Biegler

MARION COUNTY

Although state government offices and schools are closed today, Marion County offices remain open as usual Thursday, according to Marion County spokesman Jon Heynen. 

Heynen said it is general policy for the county to remain open unless there is severe weather. The county has only closed once in recent years during the ice storm in January 2024, according to Heynen. 

Several county departments like the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and the public works department need to remain open during winter weather, Heynen said. County government is monitoring the weather today and could close on Friday if the weather worsens.

Original story:

Parts of Salem woke up Thursday morning to snow, which is likely to mix with freezing rain as the day goes on. 

City traffic cameras showed snowfall throughout Salem and thin layers of snow on roads and sidewalks around 7 a.m.

All Salem-Keizer School District schools are closed Thursday, including the online EDGE program and district offices.

Rain, snow, and freezing rain are likely before 4 p.m., followed by a chance of rain or freezing rain, according to the National Weather Service.

The agency’s latest reading at McNary Field forecasts a high near 33 degrees, north winds around 8 miles per hour and a 70% chance of precipitation.

Total daytime ice buildup of less than 0.1 of an inch and snow buildup of less than a half-inch are possible.

The weather service is forecasting a nighttime low around 31 degrees, with winds calming and little to no snow buildup Thursday evening 

An ice storm warning remains in effect through 4 a.m. Friday. “Travel is strongly discouraged, unless it is an emergency. If you leave the safety of being indoors, you are putting your life at risk,” the weather service warned early Thursday morning

The agency warned that roads – especially bridges and overpasses – will likely become slick and dangerous. Heavy ice buildup on power lines and tree limbs may cause power outages.

Closures, cancellations and delays for Thursday

• Salem-Keizer Public Schools and district offices closed.
• The Willamette Education Service District’s Salem schools are closed.
• Willamette University is closed
• State government offices in Salem and the Oregon State Capitol are closed
• Meals on Wheels will not deliver on Thursday or Friday
• The Marion County Circuit Court, Oregon Supreme Court, state Court of Appeals and Tax Court are closed.
• Northwest Human Services’ West Salem Clinic Campus, Total Health Community Clinic, HOAP day center, HOST resource center and offices will open two hours late at 10:30 a.m. Thursday.

Useful resources

WEATHER:

National Weather Service: forecast

City weather: OneRain 

ROADS:

Salem streets: Ice routes; traffic cameras

State highways: Tripcheck

UTILITIES:

PGE: 800-544-1795; outage map

Salem Electric: 503-362-3601; outage information

Pacific Power: 1-877-508-5088; outage information

Cherriots: Service alerts

WARMING SHELTERS: 

Salem First Presbyterian Church plans to open each night this week that is below freezing, warming center coordinator Sue Crothers told 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 Wednesday, according to the Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency’s 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 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. 

NOTE: Salem Reporter will update this information as warranted. You are invited to share your information on additional closures, including businesses, on street conditions and outages in your neighborhood.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

Ice storm warning for Salem: stay indoors or risk your life

Slick roads, ice expected in Salem Thursday, Friday

Contact reporter Ardeshir Tabrizian: [email protected] or 503-929-3053.

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