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37 °F Forecast | Road Cams Wednesday, April 13, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend April 13, 2005 Higher elevations around Jackson County, such as Dead Indian Memorial Road, saw some snow on Tuesday. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli Wild, wacky weather? Naaah, just April By JACK MORAN Mail Tribune Looking forward to those May flowers? You’ll first have to live through that notorious April weather — which on Tuesday included showers of hail, snow and rain, along with a good shot of bright sunshine for most. While many in Southern Oregon might have found Tuesday’s mixed conditions a bit on the wild side, experts say it was just another ordinary early spring day. "We’re kind of on a roller-coaster ride," said Mark Berteau, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Medford. "And that’s fairly typical for April." Snow in the region fell Tuesday in most mountain areas above 3,000 feet. But it also blanketed lower-elevation areas of Josephine County, including Sexton Summit on Interstate 5 and Hayes Hill on Highway 199, passes that are each below 2,000 feet. Advertisement "We operated (snow) plows on both Sexton and Hayes Hill," said John Vial, district manager for the Oregon Department of Transportation. Vial said no plows were required Tuesday on Interstate 5’s Siskiyou Summit. A snowstorm there on Friday forced highway crews to temporarily close the freeway because dozens of travelers attempted to make their way into California on the snowy road without the benefit of chains. "Nobody had chains with them," Vial said. "(Drivers were not) prepared for that." The same cannot be said for ODOT workers, who man their snowplows throughout April because of its predictably unpredictable weather. "This is actually very normal. We see it every spring," Vial said. Besides snowfall, Tuesday’s weather included a quick hailstorm in north Medford, scattered rainfall and afternoon temperatures that reached into the low 50s, following a chilly start. Today’s snow level is expected to rise from 2,500 to 3,500 feet, with a 60 percent chance of rain forecast for Medford, according to the weather service. Berteau said residents of Southern Oregon should expect the April weather roller coaster to continue for at least the next few days. "We’re in that progressive pattern ... where we’ll have a nice day, followed by showers, followed by a storm," he said. "Things are moving through." Even with April’s showers, Medford’s overall dry winter hasn’t much changed with a total of .56 inches of rain for the month. That puts the region 2.74 inches below the normal amount of rain that falls after Jan. 1 each year. Reach reporter Jack Moran at 776-4459, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg Distance Education Diamonds Slippers Student Loans afsa teleconferencing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Tatoo Fasa Advertisement s