Governor Brown Declares State Of Emergency/Winter Weather Advisory in Effect.

Governor Brown declared a state of emergency on Saturday amid severe winter weather conditions which have lead to heavy snow and ice accumulation, high winds, critical transportation failures, and loss of power and communications capabilities.

The declaration applies to Benton, Clackamas, Hood River, Linn Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Washington and Yahmill Counties.

“The weather that set in yesterday and continued overnight has left extensive damage with hundreds of thousands of Oregonians without power,” said Governor Brown. “Because of windstorms, utility crews were not able to safely start work on restoring power until this morning. Crews are out in full force now and are coordinating with local emergency response teams on communications for emergency services, such as warming centers. I’m committed to making state resources available to ensure crews have the resources they need on the ground.”

The National Weather service announced that the Winter Weather Advisory will remain in effect until noon Sunday for the Portland and Vancouver area.

NWS says they expect mixed precipitation with additional snow accumulations of an inch or less, as well as additional ice accumulations of an inch or less.

The agency warns that travel could be difficult and to be prepared for ice and snow covered roads.

They advise everyone to slow down and use caution while out driving.