Oregon winter storm warning: Up to 20 inches of snow forecast for Cascade passes
A winter storm warning for snow accumulations up to 20 inches is forecast for Oregon’s high Cascade Mountain passes from Sunday evening into Tuesday.
The warning kicks off at 8 p.m. Sunday and remains in place until 10 a.m. on Tuesday.
“Travel could be very difficult to impossible,” the National Weather Service said.
The heaviest snow is forecast above 4,000 feet, where up to 20 inches is possible. In elevations between 3,000 and 4,000 feet, 4 to 10 inches is possible.
The storm should have the greatest impact on Highway 20 over Santiam and Tombstone passes, Highway 58 over Willamette Pass and on southern Cascade Mountain passes around Diamond Lake and Crater Lake, and between Medford and Klamath Falls.
There will also be impact in the Mount Hood area, although somewhat less in the Government Camp area being below 4,000 feet.
Anyone that must travel should have a have a winter emergency driving kit readily available. Common items to include: flashlight, batteries, blankets, a shovel, water, non-perishable food items and tire chains.
Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter in Oregon for 16 years and is host of the Explore Oregon Podcast. He can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on X at @ZachsORoutdoors.
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Oregon winter storm warning: Cascade passes could see 20 inches of snow