Winter furious in southern Ore.
08:31 AM PST on Wednesday, December 31, 2003
By kgw.com and AP Staff A 150-mile stretch of Interstate-5 closed by a snowstorm is open again, but more snow is on the way.
Hundreds of drivers were trapped there Monday between Ashland and Northern California.
The National Weather Service on Wednesday issued a winter storm warning for the area and warned of more hazardous driving conditions on Interstate-5 across the Siskiyous.
The weather service forecast calls for between 20 and 30 inches to pile up on the Siskiyous in the next 48 hours.
Trucks stranded on I-5 on the Siskiyou Summit begin to move again. (KGW Photo)
“Snow is expected to increase significantly in intensity New Year’s Eve through New Year’s Day as a strong jet stream approaches, the weather service said.
The weather service also recommended that travelers crossing through the passes fill up their tanks and pack a storm kit that includes tire chains, booster cables, a flashlight, shovel, a bag of sand, blankets and extra clothing, water and a first aid kit.
The northbound lanes on Interstate 5 in the Siskiyous opened Monday afternoon to vehicles with chains; southbound lanes were reopened later that night. At that time, only commercial truck drivers were still stuck on the road, said Jared Castle, spokesman for the Oregon Department of Transportation.
"Some wanted to wait it out and we gave them the option," he said Tuesday. He did not know how many trucks were on the road when it reopened Monday night.
An estimated 250 to 500 vehicles were stranded when Siskiyou Pass was closed Sunday night, said John Vial, district manager for the Oregon Department of Transportation. Cars began to leave the area late Monday after spending a long, frigid night in their cars with little food or water.
Crews spent the day clearing roads, pulling cars out of snowbanks and shuttling supplies to the stuck drivers before leading them down the mountain pass Monday afternoon.
"We also gave motorists the option of abandoning vehicles and going to shelters. Some did that," Castle said. "Then we deployed pusher trucks to touch the vehicles and get cars going. Some of the snow drifts were 5 to 6 feet and it was slow going."
Volunteers used snowmobiles to bring food, gas and water to the drivers, most of whom carried no tire chains. Officials also delivered portable toilets to motorists.
Tow truck driver Kevin Wyatt spent the night digging out cars and trucks. "It's just been miserable," said Wyatt, his face smeared with soot. "They thought it was a light storm and it just came down super, super fast. After they got stuck we couldn't get up here fast enough. When it snows four inches in two minutes, you can't do nothing."
Snowdrifts between Ashland and Redding, Calif., reached 7 feet in some areas.
State Police on Tuesday identified the man who died of a heart attack near the summit while helping other drivers as George Englehardt, 72, of Florence.
"He was pushing cars out of snow banks." Castle said.
On the California side, stranded motorists were able to leave shortly after noon Monday, and there were no injuries or accidents to report, said Sgt. Don Jordan of the California Highway Patrol.