A rare winter snow storm brought Portland to a halt, with thousands of vehicles barely able to move on main highways. According to a report, commuters began leaving work early on Wednesday, hoping to beat the storm. But they quickly found themselves on streets that were clogged with traffic that was inching along on snow-slick streets.
Rare Snow Storm Causes Traffic, Stranded People And Multiple Accidents In Portland
According to ABC News, abandoned vehicles littered streets in the Portland area Thursday, a day after a rare snow storm brought Oregon's largest city to a halt. The National Weather Service said commuters should be prepared for snow-covered streets Thursday morning and possibly some more snow, but no real accumulation. "We might get to barely above freezing but it would only be for an hour or two," meteorologist Colby Neuman said. "The snow that we have in Portland is going to stick around for the next couple of days."
Kimberly Wrolstad, a netizen, had been stuck on Interstate 5 heading to Tigard for about 90 minutes on Wednesday afternoon. "It's frustrating," she said. "I don't know what's going on. I don't know if there are accidents. I know some of the trucks are having difficulties." Some drivers in Portland took to twitter to voice their frustrations about the clogged traffic. "I've been stuck in snow traffic for over an hour & maps says it's going to take 2 more hours to get home," Twitter user Cortney wrote on Wednesday amid the snow storm.
The Culprit: Snow Storm
Snow storms are storms where large amounts of snow fall. Two inches (5 cm) of snow is enough to create serious disruptions to traffic and school transport because of the difficulty to drive and maneuver the school buses on slick roads. This is particularly true in places where snowfall is not typical but heavy accumulating snowfalls can occur. In places where snowfall is typical, such small snowfalls are rarely disruptive, because of effective snow and ice removal by municipalities, increased use of four-wheel drive and snow tires and drivers being more used to winter conditions.
A massive snowstorm with strong winds and other conditions meeting certain criteria is known as a blizzard. Large snowstorms could be quite dangerous: a 6 in (15 cm) snowstorm will make some unplowed roads impassable, and it is possible for automobiles to get stuck in the snow. Snowstorms exceeding 12 in (30 cm) especially in southern or generally warm climates will cave the roofs of some homes and cause the loss of electricity. Standing dead trees can also be brought down by the weight of the snow, especially if it is wet or very dense.
