This is KGW news at
sunrise. Wintry weather is here
and it is hitting the roads.
Look at that. This crash closed
I-84 for hours yesterday,
coming up this morning on sunrise.
Some tips to drive in icy
conditions so you're ready to hit
the roads this morning plus. If
this passes in its current form,
we will fight this vigorously as well.
Work is underway to ban flavored tobacco
products in Multnomah County.
So coming up, we're
going to hear from people who are in
favor of this change and others who
say they're prepared to fight it.
And Rod Hale back on the job this morning
with people who love weather almost
as much as he does ever see me on TV.
Great. Thanks, Judd. So you're standing.
You're gonna do this bit cut.
How do you feel? The need to stand up,
right, right. You're a great communicator.
And I know this works,
but we're saying we're gonna have
winds coming through the gorge.
Oh, my God. Did I just see broad?
Yeah, he obviously watches him on TV,
obviously.
So Rod went behind the scenes at
the National Weather Service
office right here in Portland
to see how those pros do it.
And obviously the pro
himself right here, too.
That was meteorologist John Bunk.
I liked how his hands were shaking.
I know through the
gorge he was shaking before you
get to that. So we have something
that families will want to know about.
We are getting a few school delays
because of road conditions this morning.
Pendleton, Hood River battleground,
Washougal schools,
they're all opening 2 hours late.
Handful of schools are also
running their buses on snow routes.
You can find the updates there
scrolling at the bottom of your screen.
Without knowing, I don't know specifically,
but I'm going to make the assumption
that's largely due to the fact we have
icy spots on some roadways. The showers
lasted late enough into the night.
The roads were wet in many cases.
As the temperatures fell down to freezing
and we've got the icy patches out there,
here's a look at those temperatures.
Right now we are completely dry
across the region. Winds are light.
It's a mix of freezing and not freezing.
29 Forest Grove,
but above and downtown 3632 in Gresham,
31 degrees out. In Sandy,
Salem's been holding above freezing,
as is Kaiser at 37 each.
But mcminnville? Freezing.
There's Aurora, Canby, Mestika,
all that freezing with the potential of some,
you know,
scattered icy spots awaiting you on area
roadways and and surfaces to the bus stop.
We go.
It's a dry start.
Most of us would be somewhere near freezing
light rain will be here before the noon hour.
38 degrees rain continues for the most part.
The rest of the day be about 40
when the kids get out of school.
Now the good news is if you don't
want snow is that temperature is
going to hold near 40 overnight
tonight as the next weather system
comes into the valley.
More on your complete forecast coming
up. We'll see you then. Thank you, rod.
Well, because of those low temperatures,
we are keeping a very close eye on the roads
this morning in Eastern Oregon wintry.
Other cost crashes yesterday that
closed to ID 4 for hours in both
directions from Pendleton to Lagrande.
That's a 50 mile stretch that
crosses the Blue Mountains.
The freeway is back open this morning.
It's already unfortunately though
seen multiple weather related traffic
jams and closures so far this year.
So this time of year the National Weather
Service always expects temperatures at
some point right to dip below freezing,
meaning roads could really go
from wet to icy.
Just like that, they tweeted out.
This graphic so you can actually
visually see what's going on with
the weather when it gets cold out.
The yellow areas are all above 32 degrees,
while the blue areas that you see here
on your screen are below freezing.
We've got snow and rain on the left
and right there of this graphic
sleet in the middle.
Those are droplets that freeze and
form ice before they hit the ground.
And then there's freezing rain,
which is rain that freezes on
contact with the ground.
And then if you do find yourself
caught outside for some reason.
In the middle of a winter storm,
first find shelter.
In some cases, if you have the tools,
potentially build a snow cave.
If you're out in the woods somewhere,
make sure to cover your entire body.
Stay dry, melt snow to drink,
because eating snow will lower your
body temperature and keep moving around
to keep warm when you're on the road.
Common sense rules here are slow down,
don't use your cruise control,
keep distance from other cars, of course.
Carry chains, know how to use them,
and pack an emergency bag for the car.
Stuff like flashlights.
Loan charge or snacks,
gloves, that sort of thing.
And take a peek of course at
Trip check before you head out.
Alright, let's get to another one
of our top stories this morning.
It's the debate that's playing out in
Monona County over flavored tobacco
products and their appeal to kids.
So there's a proposal to ban those
products and last night dozens
of people showed up to weigh in.
Kristel Kumoi was there
and brings us the latest.
It was a packed house Monday night
at the Multnomah County Building
to urge you to take action to end the
sale of flavored tobacco products.
I am here today to oppose the
total tobacco flavoured ban.
Dozens made their voices heard at
a public hearing on the county's
proposed ban on the sale of flavored
tobacco and nicotine products that
would include E cigarettes and vapes.
Well, we know these are deadly
products and they're marketed in a
way by the tobacco industry to hook
kids on a lifetime of addiction.
Including Menthol,
Ruth Atkins, along with others from
the flavour silk Organ Kids Coalition,
came here in support of the ban.
They say for too long the tobacco
industry has targeted youth,
especially kids of color.
The fastest growing populations in
the state of Oregon and the city
of Portland are kids of color,
and Marcus C Mundy says it's
time to protect these kids.
I would tell Multnomah County if they
care about the kids in Multnomah County,
they will vote to ban the flavored and.
Menthol tobacco products.
But opponents of the ban say not so fast.
I have been selling tobacco in
Monona County for 18 years.
This is my passion and my livelihood.
Brian Graham owns a tobacco shop.
He argues the ban will create a
black market for these products
and just hurt small businesses.
I have three families that work for me.
They've all worked for me.
Over a decade. They'd probably lose
their livelihood and I would definitely
have to probably close shop because
we believe there's a better plan.
Then of 1 county ban,
which will force adult consumers to take
their business across county lines.
Multnomah County isn't the
only one making this move.
Last year, Washington County voted
to ban the sale of flavored tobacco.
In September, a Circuit
Judge overturned the ban,
but the county is appealing.
In Multnomah County,
supporters aren't phased,
and we're confident that the judge's ruling
will be overturned in time and the Nolan
County is on firm legal standing to
proceed with their own policy and
opponents. Are vowing to take on the policy.
If this passes
in its current form, we will
fight this vigorously as well.
Christelle, Kuwait, KGW news.
Let's take a look
at some of this morning's other local
headlines, starting in the state Capitol,
Oregon State Senator Brian Boquist no longer
has to warn his fellow lawmakers when he
arrives at the state Capitol building.
Yesterday, a committee lifted the
protective measures that required
Boquist to give 12 hours notice
before showing up at the Capitol
so police could increase security.
These rules were put in place back in 2019
after Boquist made threatening statements
during a speech on the Senate floor.
In Washington, the state is shutting
down its COVID response website.
Starting this Thursday, December 1st,
people will be to redirected to a new page on
the Washington Department of Health website.
State officials there say they've
seen a huge decrease in web traffic
to that COVID response site.
And a quick reminder here that the Portland
Aerial tram is up and running again.
It was closed all of last week through
Thanksgiving weekend so crews could perform
some routine maintenance on the tram.
Thanksgiving Week is usually one of the
slowest weeks of the year for the tram,
so a good time to get that work done.
And that's a look at some of this
morning's local headlines.
Five to government camp,
where you see in a Jeep there,
just covered with snow in the
mountains have picked up a whole
lot of snow these last few days.
Timberline opened yesterday.
Mount Hood Meadows opens today at 9,
welcoming skiers and
boarders back to the slopes.
Devin Haskins will have a live
report coming up at 6:30.
You know how at five he kind of
played off the temperatures.
He's like, God, it's warm up here.
I want to see you without your coat, buddy.
Next time.
Yeah, let's see how warm make
good talking about.
Yeah,
I told him. Problem 22 at government camp.
This morning it's 14 up at Timberline and
they have some some flurries in the air.
It's mostly dry right now for
travelers up in the high country,
but it's cold enough that O dot can't
get the snow and ice off the road.
They're plowed but you know snow
still set. Alright, here's a
look at the headlines and there are
a bunch of them with the snicks
weather system that comes in
during the day today into tonight.
The main cold front comes in overnight
tonight into early tomorrow morning.
Wind Watch will go up later this
afternoon through tonight for the coast.
This is kind of garden variety stuff.
South winds gusting to 60 mph.
Again, most of this would be this evening,
overnight tonight wrapping up before dawn.
Winter Storm Watch for the Cascade starts
later tonight through Thursday morning.
We talked a lot about this yesterday.
The Wednesday front for the Cascades will
bring one to two feet of snow to the
high country that'll put their bases.
I'm going to say at least 45,
maybe even approaching 50 inches in
some cases for this upcoming weekend
where Timberline Meadows will be open.
I know ski bowls at least come
be open for tubing,
and maybe they'll have some
lips going there too.
Winter Storm Watch and Bachelor
will be open Winter Storm watch.
The gorge is kind of a new player.
I haven't talked about this much but
now looks like as the moisture comes
in the gorge later this afternoon,
tonight places,
especially near Hood River may
lock around 32 degrees.
If that's the case it could be sticking
snow into the morning hours of three
to six inches during the day tomorrow.
Once the front comes through,
early morning temps will warm up
and everything will change to rain.
Coast range possible snow today
that's looking to be a good bet
before it switches eventually later
this afternoon to all rain.
Here's a Sunset area rest
stop 28 degrees at 14.
100 feet snow alongside the roadway,
obviously a below freezing.
So as moisture comes that could
be all snow for several hours and
there could be snow accumulating
this morning and early afternoon
over the Coast range highways all
the way down to about 500 feet.
And then later today snow levels go up
above 2000 feet. That'll become rain.
We're in this cold pool of air out there.
Here's the weather system just
starting to move in.
Radar starting to pick up some light
rain showers around Astoria where
it's 33 degrees and we are 30s but
dry up and down I5 will be a dry day.
East of the Cascades today here's
rain coming this morning,
8:30 at the coast by noon into the
Portland area actually before noon.
Here's a heavier rain hitting
the coast this evening.
There's the main rain band into
the Portland area at 3:30 tonight.
That main front by the way,
overnight tonight into early tomorrow
morning may pop some 40 mile per
hour wind gusts as well and we could
be looking at some of the valley
getting close to an inch of rain.
Big story here is 42 for high today.
We stay at 40 overnight tonight,
so it's all rain for the Valley, 45 tomorrow.
Coming up my latest ride on the job,
I finally learn how to be a weather
forecaster. It's about time.
I know I went to the National Weather
Service office here in Portland.
These are the folks that bring us the
watches and the warnings and keep eyes
on our entire state like nobody else.
That's coming up in just a bit.