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2 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Southern Oregon ski areas, snow parks enjoy high visitation ... Britt festival taking show on the road to Crater Lake ... Ashland on Christmas Eve ... Southern Oregon ski areas, snow parks enjoy high visitation ... Britt festival taking show on the road to Crater Lake ... Ashland on Christmas Eve ... WEATHER UPDATED: Heavy snow in Siskiyous and Cascades puts travelers on alert Comment By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune DailyTidings.com By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Posted Dec. 21, 2015 at 11:58 AM Updated Dec 21, 2015 at 4:06 PM By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Posted Dec. 21, 2015 at 11:58 AM Updated Dec 21, 2015 at 4:06 PM » Social News The brunt of a weather system that drenched Southern Oregon with rain this morning has slipped to the south, dumping more snow on the Siskiyous and northern California. Rain remains heavy in coastal areas, and a spokesperson for the National Weather Service said the Rogue Valley will receive a significant amount of rain before snow levels begin dropping Wednesday night and Thursday. Mount Ashland was closed Sunday and today by power outages and blizzard conditions. Traffic on Interstate 5 travel has slowed, but no major tie-ups have been reported, Oregon Department of Transportation spokesman Gary Leaming said. "Snow was coming down so hard that our graders were coming through and minutes later it looked like we hadn't even touched it," Leaming said. "Northbound traffic is moving, but we held southbound until conditions improved because the trucks were struggling even with chains." The concern, he said, was that a single auto or tractor trailer rig losing control could create long delays. To the north on I-5, rain was reported on the Sexton Summit and other passes. To the east, Highway 230, spanning two-dozen miles between Union Creek and Diamond Lake, had more downed trees just after crews reopened the road Sunday. Highway 230 closed again early Monday afternoon for nearly three hours after about 20 trees blew down between mileposts 6 and 14. The roadside snow depth at the West Diamond Lake summit was reported at 78 inches. Highway 62 leading into Crater Lake is closed from its juncture with Highway 230 by heavy snow, falling trees and limited visibility. The north entrance to Crater Lake was previously closed for the winter. Travelers planning weekend outings, Christmas gatherings or trips to warmer climes will face more snow at lower elevations. But fog shouldn't be an issue for Santa or Rogue Valley residents until Friday night. Rain will continue until Thursday with snow levels falling to around 2,000 feet. The Weather Service is calling for an additional inch and a half of rain to fall between now and 5 a.m. Wednesday. Through Sunday, Medford received 6.35 inches of rain, boosting the annual total since Jan. 1 to 16.1 inches. Although the count is more than an inch below normal, the 17.19 inch average rainfall will be met or exceeded if present trends continue. For the official "water year," which starts Oct. 1, the total for Medford through Sunday was 8.37 inches, surpassing the average of 6.48 inches. Travelers leaving or entering the Rogue Valley are warned to be prepared for winter conditions regardless of the direction they're headed. "It's going to be tricky over the passes," said Misty Duncan of the NWS Medford office. "Once you get out of the valley, the snow levels are pretty low, whether it's on the east side of the Cascades, Northern California or north of the Umpqua Divide. Temperatures will also dive, with a low of 24 anticipated Friday morning and 23 Saturday morning. By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune DailyTidings.com By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Posted Dec. 21, 2015 at 11:58 AM Updated Dec 21, 2015 at 4:06 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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