Snowpocalypse! 2019 edition | The Source Weekly - Bend

Snowpocalypse! 2019 edition

Snowfall shuts down the region and sets a daily record

Heavy snow hit much of Oregon Sunday night and into Monday, closing schools and causing headaches on the roadways. The 12.5 inches that fell over the last 24-hour period set a new record in Bend. The prior record for February 25 was 4.0 inches, set in 1917, according to information from the National Weather Service.

click to enlarge Snowpocalypse! 2019 edition
Keely Damara
A truck gets a helping hand out of a driveway in Bend during a snow storm on Feb. 25, 2019.

As of Monday morning all schools and evening activities were canceled by Bend-LaPine Schools. At 4pm Monday, Bend-La Pine Schools announced schools and activities would be canceled Tuesday as well. The City of Bend closed its administrative offices, and all Deschutes County non-emergency offices were also closed. The County Road department remained open to try to keep up with the constant snowfall.

All state offices in Deschutes County were closed Monday and Bend Parks and Recreation District closed all its facilities and cancelled all of its programs.

The City of Bend said it hasn't declared an emergency snow zone to trigger parking restrictions yet, but are in discussions about possibly making that declaration on Tuesday. The City is encouraging drivers to park off street when possible, as this makes it easier for the plows to make passes and get more snow off the roads.

On Oregon Department of Transportation’s Trip Check website, part of the map looks like a candy cane, with red lines indicating that many of the mountain pass roads were either closed, or with long delays due to accidents, downed trees or avalanches.

As of noon, Hwy. 58 was closed near Oakridge due to multiple trees across the roadway. Santiam Pass was closed near the pass summit due to an avalanche—the second in two days. Highway 138, which goes to Roseburg from Hwy. 97, was also closed to trees across the roadway.


Mountain users should take delight, however, as Mt. Bachelor said it received 43 inches of snow in the last three days.

According to the National Weather Service, Bend’s forecast is to see more snow until Friday. There’s a 40 percent chance of snow Monday night, a 30 percent chance Tuesday with a possibility of 1 to 3 more inches of snow overnight.