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Snow could fall on floor of valley this morning Weather eases up in Siskiyou Pass after snow forces closure of freeway By SARAH LEMON Although snow levels were forecast to drop to the valley floor this morning, emergency workers said they were ready to meet the weather. Heavy snow forced the Oregon Department of Transportation to close Interstate 5 in both directions at the Siskiyou Pass late Thursday as vehicles got stuck in drifts and had to be towed out. Once ODOT officials and Oregon State Police cleared the pass, cars resumed travel by 12:45 a.m., said John Vial, ODOT district manager. Weather on the summit wasn't as stormy Friday, but ODOT maintenance crews would still staff the pass 24 hours a day, Vial said. "Anytime there's snow, there's problems," he said. Driving remained tricky in the mountains Friday. A Ford Explorer traveling south on I-5 near Mount Ashland rolled over around 3:30 p.m., but the driver was not injured. Chains were not required on the Siskiyou Pass Friday, an ODOT dispatcher said. Winter travelers should realize that weather changes quickly and could cause delays, Vial said. Travelers stranded in Medford when Greyhound buses couldn't cross the pass found refuge in a shelter set up late Thursday by the American Red Cross. Red Cross coordinators said they anticipated the need for housing when the National Weather Service issued a storm watch for Thursday's conditions. Volunteers set up cots and provided snacks and coffee for 87 travelers at Hedrick Middle School in Medford and lodged six others with special needs in motels. With snow levels rising to 3,000 feet late today and temperatures reaching 40 degrees, ODOT, OSP, and Red Cross workers were not steeling themselves for stranded travelers but said they would be prepared if conditions changed. "This winter it seems likes it's blowing in harder and faster," said OSP Lt. Gordon Renskers. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.