Winter storm disrupts school, sports schedules
Update, Friday 1:45 p.m.:
Gallery Theater's production of "Fiddler on the Roof" will go on as planned tonight, Director Seth Renne said this morning. the play starts at 7:30 p.m.Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays in the theater at Second and Ford streets, McMinnville.
The 6A Pacific Conference wrestling tournament, which was scheduled for Friday, will be held Monday instead.
Linfield University is closed today, along with Dayton, Newberg, Gaston and Yamhill Carlton school districts as snow and ice continues. Weather forecasts call for warming later today, but this morning roads and slippery.
The Yamhill County Sheriff's Office responded to numerous weather-related crashes Thursday, including a fatal wreck in Dundee. An ATV was towing a sled, on snowy N.E. Hagey Road, and a young adult was killed when they wrecked, deputies said.
In other closure news, McMinnville schools also are closed today and Monday for the Presidents' Day weekend. Amity schools are usually closed on Fridays.
Head Start also has cancelled classes for a second day, as has Chemeketa Community College.
McMinnville city offices and facilities, including the front office of the police department, will remain closed through mid-day.
Carlton Civic Hall also will remain closed. Newberg offices will open at 1 p.m. today.
Check back for news of other closures as it becomes available.
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Update, 4:45 p.m. Thursday:
Lafayette will hold its city council meeting on Zoom only tonight. The session starts at 6:30 p.m. A link is available from www.ci.lafayette.or.us.
Newberg city offices were closed Thursday, as was Carlton City Hall.
The Wheatland Ferry is not operating because of the weather.
Yamhill County Transit Area buses were cancelled Thursday. Dial-a-Ride service was not running.
McMinnville, Amity, Willamina, Dayton, Yamhill Carlton, Newberg, Sheridan and Perrydale schools were closed Thursday, as were Gaston schools and Chemeketa Community College.
Dayton already has announced it will be closed on Friday.
All Head Start classes were cancelled Thursday. Willamette ESD also was closed.
The weather forecast also led the McMinnville Area Chamber of Commerce to cancel its Friday morning Greeters events. Chamber After Hours at Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum has been postponed a month from Thursday to March 13.
McMinnville city offices and facilities, including the front office of the police department, will remain closed through mid-day Friday.
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After a couple weeks of extremely cold, but fairly clear weather, things are expected to warm to more normal temperatures over the weekend – but the transition may be hectic.
The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for West Central and East Willamatte Valley from 10 p.m. tonight through 10 a.m. Friday morning, calling for a mix of snow and freezing that could impact the Thursday morning commute.
“Roads, and especially bridges and overpasses, will likely become slick and hazardous,” the NWS stated. “Significant ice accumulation on power lines and tree limbs may cause power outages.”
The alert said total snow accumulations up to one inch and ice accumulations of one quarter of an inch are possible.
Other online weather sources predict more snow than ice in Yamhill County. Weather.com predicts 1 to 3 inches of the white stuff could accumulate at higher elevations, and some may fall on the valley floor.
After an overnight temperature Thursday of 31 degrees, forecasters say Friday will see a high of 46 degrees. Clouds and some rain will rule over the next week, but temperatures will be well above freezing – in the upper 30s and low 40s overnight and into the mid-50s during the day.
The NWS also issued a cold weather advisory from 7 p.m. tonight through noon tomorrow, with wind chills as low as 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit.
Warming locations will be available during the day at public libraries and other places in Yamhill County. In McMinnville, the new Navigation Center in the 300 block of South Adams street will be open overnight. The Yamhill County Gospel Rescue Mission at 14th and Kirby streets is open from noon to 8 p.m. whenever temperatures dip below 40 degrees..
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