This story was updated at 5:20 p.m. Feb. 12 with information about Philomath schools operating on a two-hour delay Thursday morning.
The National Weather Service has issued an ice storm warning from 10 p.m. Wednesday to 4 a.m. Friday for a region of the state that includes Philomath.
According to the NWS, significant icing is expected with ice accumulations up to three-tenths of an inch. In addition, total snow accumulations of up to 1 inch are possible.
Alert: Snow, ice appear to be on the way
The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for central and southern Willamette Valley from 10 p.m. Wednesday until 10 a.m. Friday. The advisory reports that heavy mixed precipitation will be possible with total snow accumulations of up to 1 inch and possible ice accumulations of up to one quarter of an inch.…
‘Travel is strongly discouraged, unless it is an emergency. If you leave the safety of being indoors, you are putting your life at risk,” the NWS said through the alert. “Walking surfaces will be icy and slick. Use extra caution if you have to walk outdoors.”
Benton County officials made the following recommendations:
- Do not go outside your home unless absolutely necessary. Even a short walk to the mailbox can lead to a slip-and-fall injury.
- Avoid driving in icy conditions whenever possible. If you must travel, slow down and use caution while driving. Have an emergency plan and keep supplies in your vehicle.
- Check regularly for updates on road and school closures to avoid unnecessary trips.
- Have extra food and water, supplies, medications, and batteries ready at home.
- electronic devices and battery packs charged in case of power outage.
Susan Halliday, superintendent of schools, said through an email to parents that if classes are called off Thursday or Friday, students will still not be in school the following Monday, which is Presidents Day. She said the missed time will be made up in May.
Halliday said her rationale for the decision involves the difficulty in changing course so quickly as families may already have other plans for the long weekend. In addition, attendance rates have been low with widespread illness hitting the local campuses and the contractor working on 19th Street plans to complete work on the access road to Clemens Primary School on Monday.
Kings Valley Charter School is also not scheduled to hold classes Monday.
In an email sent out late Wednesday afternoon, Halliday said that based on weather predictions, schools would operate on a two-hour delay Thursday. However, she added that the decision would be reassessed the following morning.
The latest Philomath forecast for Wednesday evening shows a low of 27 with a 100% chance of snow overnight. Although a winter storm watch and the ice storm warning both cite snow accumulations of up to one inch, the Philomath forecast shows the possibility of 1 to 3 inches.
Thursday’s forecast shows a high of 39 with snow ending during the morning and giving way to rain in the afternoon. Thursday evening, rain is likely with a low of 32. Then on Friday, a high of 46 is expected with rain showers early during the day and then a low of 32 with cloudy skies at night.