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Portland hit with foot of snow Motorists walk around their cars on a slippery Interstate 5 off-ramp headed into Portland Wednesday. A major snowstorm spread through Portland and parts of Washington state overnight, toppling trees, closing schools and cutting power to thousands. AP photo/Don Ryan Wednesday Jan 11, 2017 at 11:53 AM Jan 11, 2017 at 11:53 AM The Associated Press PORTLAND (AP) — The latest on severe winter weather in the Northwest: 10:20 a.m. Portland police officers are on the lookout for stranded motorists, offering transportation to safe, warm locations. Sgt. Pete Simpson says East Precinct officers are marking unoccupied vehicle with yellow tape to indicate the car had been checked. Officers on ATVs and in SUVs have contacted or marked nearly three dozen vehicles on I-205 and along surface streets. Central Precinct officers, meanwhile, have responded to dozens of hazard calls, especially in the West Hills, Interstate 5, I-405 and Highway 26. Officers also responded to welfare checks for homeless people, with roughly three dozen taken to warming shelters. Officers provided jackets to some of those who did not want to go to a shelter. The major winter storm has dumped a foot of snow in many parts of Portland. It punctuates an unusually cold winter that has seen four people die of hypothermia. ___ 9:50 a.m. The major snowstorm socking Oregon and southwest Washington led Amtrak to suspend southbound service between Seattle and Portland. No alternate transportation will be provided for the morning Amtrak Cascades service. Meanwhile, those relying on Portland's light-rail system continue to face delays because of ice, downed trees and fallen power lines. Shuttle buses are serving some stations. At Portland International Airport, flight delays and cancelations are piling up as the snow continues to swirl. Check ahead before making the trip to the airport. The Oregon Department of Transportation urges drivers to stay off the road, and motorists appeared to be heeding that message. Many roads were empty Wednesday morning. ___ 8:18 a.m. Schools and highways were closed across central and eastern Washington state on Wednesday because of snow and high winds. Wind gusts of up to 60 mph were expected in Grant County. The Grant County Sheriff's Office warned residents to stay off roads, as snow drifts of 3 to 8 feet tall were reported. "Too dangerous to drive this morning," the sheriff's office tweeted shortly after 5 a.m. Wednesday. __ 6:38 a.m. A major snowstorm spread through Portland and southwest Washington, toppling trees, closing schools and cutting power to thousands. The National Weather Service says parts of Portland got up to a foot of snow, a rare event in a city known for its rain. The snow began at the end of Tuesday's rush-hour commute, so the roads were free of heavy traffic during the storm. Still, some cars were left abandoned on highways and the state Department of Transportation warned drivers to stay home Wednesday, if possible. Several large branches were down near Portland State University and Portland General Electric reports that more than 30,000 customers are without power.