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48 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, January 27, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Opportunities Moving to Southern Oregon? MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend December 24, 2004 Snow levels could reach valley floor By JACK MORAN Mail Tribune Dreaming of a white Christmas? Better head to the high country, as snow levels are expected to be at about 4,000 feet when a weekend storm pushes its way into the region on Saturday, said National Weather Service meteorologist Sven Nelaimischkies. A white day after Christmas is a distinct possibility in the Rogue Valley, however. "At the tail end of this system (on Sunday), there could be light amounts of snow falling on the valley floor," Nelaimischkies said. And if not, valley dwellers seeking a winter wonderland can "take a short drive and see all the snow they want," he said. Advertisement The worst time for holiday travelers to hit the roads is expected to be Saturday night, although forecasters say they are still not certain of the storm’s exact timing. The system should pass through the region and give way to mostly cloudy skies on Monday, according to a weather service forecast. Oregon Department of Transportation crews will be ready to jump into their snow plows if and when the white stuff starts falling, said District Manager John Vial. A crew is stationed atop Siskiyou Summit at all times. "We’re ready for a storm," Vial said. Travelers looking to head over the summit can get road and weather reports at an Interstate 5 rest area near Talent, where a new information station was installed last week. A similar station is located at a rest stop near Weed, Calif. The weather service issued a "special weather statement" on Thursday for Southern Oregon and Northern California, warning that between 4 and 8 inches of snow could fall this weekend in the Cascade and Siskiyou mountain ranges. Motorists are now required to be equipped with traction tires or carry chains over all mountain passes in southwestern Oregon, according to ODOT’s Web site, www.tripcheck.com . Spots of ice were reported in several areas on Thursday afternoon, including along Highway 62 near Prospect and Highway 140 at Lake of the Woods. Patchy fog is forecast in the Rogue Valley for today and Christmas morning, with morning lows dipping into the 20s, Nelaimischkies said. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers