Wind-whipped snow paralyzes valley

PILEUP: With the freeway closed to eastbound traffic, trucks forced to exit the freeway at the Flying J interchange run into trouble on the icy off-ramp in extremely windy conditions this morning. - The Observer/CHRIS BAXTER

Travel in Union County this morning was more than difficult; it was closer to impossible. By 6:30 a.m. the storm forced the closure of Interstate 84 from La Grande east to Baker City. Later, the four-lane freeway was shut from La Grande west to Pendleton.

Oregon Department of Transportation spokesman Tom Strandberg said conditions were especially bad in the Ladd Canyon area east of La Grande.

“Our crews are out there trying to move as much snow as possible, but with the whiteouts, there’s a limit to what they can do,” Strandberg said.

The department also closed Highway 237 between Union and Cove.

The Tollgate Highway out of Elgin remained open, though weather conditions made the going difficult.

“Our crews are having a real battle up there with drifting. They’re trying to create a passage, but the conditions remain hazardous,” said Strandberg.

All public schools in Union County were closed today because of the weather.

Gary Howland, plant operations director of the La Grande School District, noted that things were calm in La Grande but changed dramatically by the time one reached Interstate 84.

“It is a different world,’’ Howland said this morning.

Howland noted that 700 La Grande students take the bus to school but only 100 of them would have been able to make it to school today because of the weather.

Howland added that the forecast was for more snow and wind later today. He said he didn’t want to get students to school and then not be able to get them home.

Imbler School District Superintendent Doug Hislop echoed this concern. He added that he decided to close school today after receiving a call from Bruce Flatt of Mid Columbia Bus Company at 4:45 a.m. expressing concern about road conditions. Mid Columbia does not serve the Imbler School District but often provides it with transportation advice.

EOU is open for classes today plus all of Wallowa County’s school districts.

Steve Devore, The Observer’s circulation manager, called by cell phone early this morning to say he would not be able to make it to work. He was stuck on Highway 237 near Union. Traffic was stalled and backed up because of an accident.

Devore said drifts were high in the area, and the wind was screaming.

“You can’t stand up outside your rig without getting blown across the road,” he said.

Devore said the weather will play havoc with The Observer’s home delivery system today.

He said papers would not be delivered along rural motor routes in Union County today, nor would the paper be delivered in Wallowa County.

Motor route drivers will deliver both the Thursday and Friday papers on Friday.

Editor/Publisher Ted Kramer said the conditions make driving the routes too risky.

i-84 closed: A view from the Cove Avenue overpass in La Grande shows the icy, blowing snow and low visibility conditions that combined to shut down Interstate 84 today. - The Observer/CHRIS BAXTER

In other reports from outlying areas, residents in the Summerville-Imbler-Elgin area of Union County had their share of foul weather during the night and into the day.

Elgin Police Chief Kevin Lynch said winds have been gusting in the area since Wednesday, reducing visibility and causing high drifts.

“It’s snowing and blowing and there’s a lot of drifting. If the schools weren’t closed, we’d really have some problems,” Lynch said.

The chief said wind gusts in the area had been measured at 22 mph overnight, and also said much higher gusts had occurred since then.

In Wallowa County, strong steady winds throughout Wednesday night and into today created drifting problems, particularly in the upper valley.

However, all the schools were open.

Wallowa School reported that there was not a problem of people getting to school there, but that was the exception.

Enterprise schools reported high absentee rates, because of a flu bug and bus routes out the north Highway 3 and the Swamp Creek area could not be completed because of drifting snow.

Alder Slope routes had to be rerouted because of drifting.

Joseph schools reported students and staff missing from the Upper Prairie Creek area, where the Imnaha Highway 351 was closed from Joseph to mile post 8.

Two of the four students were present at Imnaha School. The others were missing because of drifting on the upper river around Imnaha River Woods.

Moffit Bros. Transportation reported that the Flora and Elk Mountain Road routes could not be completed, because of drifting on north Highway 3.

But, the county road crews were right out on top of it. It was heard on the scanner that road crews were out plowing by 2 a.m., but it was drifting in behind the snowplow trucks in places, Roberta Moffit said.

Blowing and drifting snow forced the closure of the Imnaha Highway between mileposts 1-8 this morning, according to ODOT.

Bill Rautenstrauch, Dick Mason and Gary Fletcher contributed to this report.