More than 100 school districts and schools across northwest Oregon, including Portland Public Schools and Beaverton School District, have canceled classes due to the anticipation of a winter storm expected to hit on Thursday morning. Just after 5 a.m. Thursday, districts began announcing closures. The Salem-Keizer School District, along with other large districts such as Hillsboro School District and North Clackamas School District, quickly followed suit.
The approaching storm is forecasted to bring temperatures below freezing and precipitation throughout the morning. Matt Zaffino, chief meteorologist at KGW, indicated the Salem area would likely start seeing snow around 6 a.m., whereas Portland could remain dry until around 8 a.m. This late arrival means many residents might wake up to clear roads, but travel conditions are expected to deteriorate as the day progresses.
Once the snow begins, Portlanders can expect 1 to 3 inches of accumulation before the snowfall tapers off later. Meteorologists warn of dropping temperatures again later in the evening, leading to potential refreezing of any melted snow.
Throughout the Portland metro area, districts were initially cautious about making early calls on closures. Many opted to monitor the weather and announced decisions early Thursday morning. For example, Gresham-Barlow School District's spokesperson, Athena Vadnais, noted they would communicate their decision based on weather forecasts. “We are monitoring weather forecasts and will make the decision early tomorrow morning,” she said.
Similar sentiments were echoed by Tigard-Tualatin School District, which planned to communicate its decision via mass messaging to parents on Wednesday evening. Many superintendents found themselves assessing the unpredictable forecast, especially with fears of freezing rain potentially complicate pickup scenarios for students at the end of the school day.
“A nightmarish school pickup scenario” resembling previous storms was described by Hillsboro School District spokesperson Beth Graser, as freezing rain is forecasted to begin by mid-morning. Superintendents from across Washington County held scheduled calls to discuss the weather and safety measures, hoping to reach decisions before the stormeta. Graser stressed the dangers posed by inexperienced teenage drivers on icy roads, saying, “If school districts split the difference and announce early release amid such conditions, it could lead to serious hazards.”
Many schools extended their summer breaks to compensate for snow days, yet cancellations are still met with mixed reactions from parents and staff members. “Making the early call has its perils,” Graser noted, warning of the potential loss of valuable school days if the weather turns out to be less severe than predicted.
Before the storm began, Portland Public Schools observed staff scouting road conditions and consulting with local transportation officials to assess their decision-making. District officials understand the importance of prioritizing student safety but also wrestle with the challenges posed by unpredicted weather patterns.
“Portland Public Schools makes its decision primarily based on safety,” said district spokesperson Valerie Feder. “But we also have to be careful about how these decisions affect parents and their ability to work.”
Additional impacts of the winter storm extend beyond the school districts. Various counties have reported widespread office closures, including most state agency buildings and Multnomah County offices, which shut down operations for the day as snow began to blanket the area. Local businesses have also braced for the storm, anticipating diminished foot traffic and potential delivery delays.
Stay updated as the situation continues to develop, with local authorities and weather stations working around the clock to provide real-time information to affected residents and districts. Parents and students alike hope for favorable conditions to resume normal schedules soon.