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Weather forecast changes for Rogue Valley Bill Emery of Ashland and his dog Kali take a snowy walk Sunday on the dam at Emigrant Lake in Ashland. Mail Tribune / Denise Baratta Sunday Jan 1, 2017 at 6:00 PM Jan 1, 2017 at 9:14 PM Greg Stiles Mail Tribune @GregMTBusiness Perhaps it was that extra second the atomic clock folks gave 2016. Whatever the case, National Weather Service computer models were fed last week, burped out a dramatically different forecast than what the Rogue Valley can now expect. The Rogue Valley headed into the weekend with expectations of progressively colder temperatures, dipping into single digits during the first week of 2017. Instead, the area is looking at far more typical January weather with the anticipated high-pressure pocket feeding cold air out of the northeast giving way to a series of fronts that will deliver more snow in the surrounding mountains with a dusting or two on the valley floor. "The models really changed," said Michelle Cohen, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. "Before, we were expecting arctic air to spread through the area from a very cold high pressure system. Now, we're looking for progressive fronts coming out of a low pressure system up near Vancouver Island that will send several waves of precipitation into our area." On Sunday evening, Oregon Department of Transportation closed southbound Interstate 5 traffic was closed between milepost 80 and milepost 70 because of multiple crashes snow conditions. The Weather Service calls for 4 to 8 inches of snow in elevations above 2,000 feet and 2 to 4 inches on the valley floor by 10 a.m. Monday. Mt. Ashland will see 6 to 8 inches of snow Monday and even more Tuesday. Crater Lake reported 71 inches of snow on Sunday morning, a half-foot more than the Jan. 1 average of 65 inches. The anticipated low Monday night is 25 degrees. "Past Tuesday, there's a lot of uncertainty," said Cohen, adding there is a slight chance of freezing rain on the valley floor late Tuesday afternoon. — Reach reporter Greg Stiles at 541-776-4463 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GregMTBusiness, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/greg.stiles.31