H&N's: Snow, snow and snow

Snow, snow and snow

Klamath Falls Herald and News

Ashley Wright watches her 2-year-old son Elijah Miller as he tries to pull a cart full of his items across an icy spot on Main Street Wednesday. The two were heading downtown on a shopping errand.

December 1, 2005

By DYLAN DARLING

The last day of November was a white one, as will be the first days of December.

A snowstorm rolled into Klamath Falls and the Klamath Basin about 4 p.m. Wednesday, putting a new covering on Monday's leftover snow.

By Wednesday evening, 2.5 inches of snow had come down at Kingsley Field.

“This was at the airport, keep in mind,” said Russ Onsen, the weather spotter at Kingsley.

Generally, snowfall is expected to be heavier in Klamath Falls and its surrounding hills than at the airport.

In all, 4 to 8 inches of snow were expected to fall on Klamath Falls during the night, according to the National Weather Service. Above 4,500 feet, another 5 to 10 inches is expected today, the first day of December.

Tonight could bring another wave of snow, with 3 to 6 inches expected in Klamath Falls. A winter storm warning is in effect until 10 p.m.

“It's a pretty significant snowfall,” said Roger Gerig, a specialist with the Weather Service's Medford office.

Friday could bring a couple of inches of snow and Saturday could also be snowy, but the wintry weather should quit after that, Gerig said.

“We are basically looking to continue on through Saturday,” he said.

Snow had blasted the Basin Monday, with more than 4 inches at Kingsley and an estimated 7 inches at the Herald and News office. After just a trace on Tuesday and a partly cloudy first half of Wednesday, snow returned Wednesday afternoon.

The snowstorms are fueled by cold air from the Gulf of Alaska and a touch of subtropical moisture from Hawaii. They are early for the region. Gerig said snow usually comes in late December or January.

Wednesday's snow made driving a slow go.

Around Klamath Falls many motorists ended in a snowbank and not the driveway.

Elijah hops in the cart and lets Mom do the pulling.

Klamath County Sheriff Tim Evinger said deputies had reports of numerous vehicles sliding off the road.

Anywhere in particular?

“Everywhere,” Evinger said. “There is not a roadway untouched by slideoffs.”