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(Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell) Snowstorm packs a punch Tens of thousands stay home from school; snapped power lines cause outages throughout Southern Oregon By DAMIAN MANN and ANITA BURKE Mail Tribune A storm that unloaded more than 2 feet of snow in higher elevations wreaked havoc on the Rogue Valley Thursday, cutting electricity, shutting down the Medford airport and closing Interstate 5. More than 28,000 students stayed home as nearly all school districts closed. In Ashland, an oak tree collapsed under the weight of the snow onto the Darex Family Ice Rink, crushing the roof canopy and shutting the facility down 11 days ahead of schedule. This is the second countywide snowstorm since the year began. The last occurred Jan. 16, but the snow was drier and the temperatures colder. Multiple snowstorms in the same season used to be a common occurrence in the Rogue Valley. But Chuck Glaser, a National Weather Service meteorologist, said, "Lately, in the last 20 years, it's unusual to get two good ones." Advertisement The heavy, wet snow in Thursday's storm broke off tree limbs onto power lines, cutting electricity to 18,000 customers in Jackson, Josephine and Klamath counties. Ashland was the hardest hit, with 6,000 customers out of power from 4 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monte Mendenhall, spokesman for Pacific Power, said as of Thursday afternoon, 1,850 customers in Jackson County were still without electricity. Monte Mendenhall, spokesman for Pacific Power, said as of Thursday afternoon, 1,850 customers in Jackson County were still without electricity. "We will not have power to all customers until sometime tomorrow afternoon or late in the evening," he said Thursday. "Part of the problem we're having is access," he said, referring to efforts to negotiate snow-laden roads in rural areas. "We have some areas in Northern California where there is up to 18 inches of snow." Dick Wanderscheid, director of Ashland's electric utility, said about 200 customers were still without power at noon Thursday. Gary Leaming, spokesman for the Oregon Department of Transportation, said Interstate 5 was closed from 7:45 p.m. Wednesday to 4 a.m. Thursday as up to 28 inches of snow fell in the Siskiyous. Mountain passes to the north of Jackson County remained open as the brunt of the storm appeared to pass over the very southern part of Oregon, he said. "The big event for the most part was California," said Leaming, who said snowplows worked through the night clearing the Interstate 5 from Yreka through the summit. Jackson County Sheriff Mike Winters said there were no major accidents or injuries Thursday on county roads. "Folks seemed better prepared for this storm," he said. "They mostly stayed at home and packed warm clothes and tire chains." Winters advised residents to prepare for possible icy roads this morning and to drive slowly. Don Robertson, Ashland Parks and Recreation director, said there have been no estimates made concerning the extent of damage to the ice-skating rink. "Until we get the snow off, we can't make a good estimate," he said. The frame supporting the canopy appears to be a total loss, he said, but he hasn't determined whether the fabric was damaged. He also has been unable to examine the rink itself to see whether the flooring or cooling tubes need repair. "We don't want to get underneath it and have it collapse further," he said. The city, which is self-insured, will pay for repairs to the rink, he said. Robertson said Lithia Park remains open but he cautions visitors to pay attention to the trees because many have been damaged by snow. Park workers have roped off areas that are of obvious danger to the public. But Robertson said visitors "should be aware of your surroundings and look up." The snowfall kept crews busy Thursday in Ashland and throughout Jackson County. "We've had a lot of trees down," said Paula Brown, Ashland public works director. A large tree at Briscoe School was among them. At the Medford airport, passengers waited for runways to be plowed before they could catch a flight. "It was a madhouse this morning," said Medford resident Jim Freeman, who was traveling to Chicago for his sister's 70th birthday. Freeman, who arrived at the airport 20 minutes before 8 a.m., anticipated he would get a flight out around 12:20 p.m. "I'll make my connection but my luggage won't," he said, explaining that all the delays and confusion meant his baggage will probably arrive in Chicago after he gets there. Central Point resident Dave Keiry went to the airport at 5 a.m. for a 6 a.m. flight to Wisconsin to visit family. "We were on the plane and they pulled us off," he said. Keiry, along with his wife and daughter, decided to wait at the airport, hoping to get a flight out around noon. "I'm wondering why they weren't planning ahead, plowing the runway," he said. "I grew up in Colorado, so I know you've got to be prepared." Kim Stearns, spokeswoman at the Medford airport, said the airport had to shut down from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., forcing the cancellation of two Skywest flights and one Horizon flight. Other flights were delayed. Stearns said the amount of snow that had to be removed required extra help from the Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department, which brought in additional snowplows. Airport Director Bern Case said that the decision to plow only came after temperatures rose in the morning enough to cause the snow to turn to slush. The airport can continue to operate in up to one inch of snow, but not in slush, he said. The Mount Ashland ski area could not operate on what could have been one of the best days of the season. Twenty-two inches of fresh snow went mostly unskied because power outages prevented the chairlifts from operating, and the ski area had to cancel both day and night skiing. Ski area managers expected normal operations to resume today. The Mount Shasta Board and Ski Park in Northern California received 28 inches of snow in the storm, more than it had on the ground through most of what has been a low-snow winter. With trees and branches falling all over Jackson County roads, fences and houses, arborists and tree-care crews kept busy on Thursday. With three crews dispatched between Ruch and Eagle Point, Joseph Powell had his cell phone at the ready, even perched three stories up a Leyland cypress tree split in five directions. "The snow we've had is so heavy because it's wet," Powell said. "We're trying to shore this one up before it falls over. Snow unveils unseen problems in a tree's structure or roots." Willows, box elders, Leyland cypress, maples, oaks with mistletoe, wide-branching trees and those with straight branches are among the most susceptible species to cracking and breaking during snow and ice accumulation, Powell said. "They'll be fine if the snow starts to melt," Powell said. "But if it rains and turns to ice, there will be more weight. A lot of time when it snows, you don't see the cracks until much later." Reporters Bill Kettler, Meg Landers, Greg Stiles and Chris Conrad contributed to this report. Would you like to respond to this story? If so Click Here to visit our forums. Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2007 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Online Casino Reviews Fundraisers UK Homeowner Loans Casinos Canada Cord Blood Banking Entertainment Guide Texas Electric Choice Compare Electric rates in Texas Windermere Van Vleet Trunks, Footlocker Men's Clothing Debt Help