UPDATE: We're tracking Friday's closures and traffic issues in the Portland area here -
Snow leads to road closures, chain requirements in Portland area on Friday
ORIGINAL STORY:
PORTLAND, Ore. – First responders have started closing down some streets in the tri-county area as a winter storm brings snow and ice to the Portland metro region.
At about 5 p.m., the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office shut down Northwest Germantown Road between Skyline Boulevard and Kaiser Road.
Deputies cited dangerous road conditions and several stalled vehicles along the roadway. No word on when it will be back open.
At roughly the same time, the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office reported downed power lines near Southeast 362nd Drive and Colorado Street.
The Portland Bureau of Transportation said Southwest Capitol Highway is closed between Terwilliger and Barbur boulevards because of a tree leaning out over the road.
In Wood Village, Northeast 238th Avenue is closed from Arata to Southwest Cherry Park Road. The Multnomah County Sheriff's Office said there are stalled vehicles, spinouts and a jackknifed tractor trailer blocking the road. The is also closed between Glisan and Arata because of a crash and several stalled vehicles.
The sheriff's office said the road conditions in the far northwest side of the county are deteriorating and conditions won't improve overnight.
Northwest Laidlaw Road is closed between Thompson and Donnel after a car crashed into a power pole. The driver and the passenger were taken to the hospital to be treated for minor injuries.
Officials also closed Northwest Cornelius Pass Road between Skyline Boulevard and Highway 30 because of a stalled vehicle.
Numerous crashes have been reported in the Columbia River Gorge.
Several crashes were reported along Highway 26 to the east in Clackamas County. Conditions on Highway 26 to the west of Portland also got slick and cars pulled over to the side of the road to chain up.
West Linn police said the the hills in that city are icy and the city is closing streets.
State and local transportation agencies worked to prepare local streets to help make sure people can travel safely if they need to this week.
Still, many first responders are asking people to drive only if it is a necessity.
TriMet officials said Wednesday the agency was preparing to keep transit lines moving through winter weather.
The majority of TriMet's bus fleet is already equipped with drop-down chains that drivers can deploy with the press of a button. Crews will also be able to chain up buses as needed in the event of heavy snow or long-lasting slick conditions.
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