(Photos: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
🚨Welcome to BP StormTracker Central!🚨
With fresh snow on the ground and more storms on the way, we’ll keep this post at the top of the page to share the latest info and conditions. Please use the comments to share what the roads are like in your neighborhood. Also let us know about any closures, storm-related news, or notable hazards that you come across.
With input from everyone we can create a valuable community resource and help folks make better decisions about how to ride, where to ride, or if they should ride at all.
[Scenes from Saturday (2/9) morning in the Piedmont neighborhood of north Portland]
Here’s the latest from North Portland (near Peninsula Park):
Just enough snow fell to make things tricky. We only have an inch or so on the ground. I found riding to be a very mixed bag. It’s still below freezing so ice is already a problem. I found biking in the white powder was fine, but I’d slip on ice as soon as I got into the gutter or at driveways where water had accumulated. Also notable were wind gusts, which make trying to balance over slippery sections that much more difficult.
On smaller, neighborhood street, I also found staying in the white stuff was the best bet. Where car tires had packed down the snow I felt very uncertain and could feel the slippage.
Please use caution if you ride, and refer to our ice/snow riding tips.
How are things in your neck of the woods?
UPDATE: 2/10: So far the snow has not materialized in a major way. Some parts of Portland only got an inch or so and most streets are dry and clear, except for some icy patches. It’s been a different story in east Portland, where 4-5 inches fell. We’ll keep watching the forecast and will re-pin this post to the top of the page in case a more major system moves in soon. Thanks for all the comments.
— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org
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The mean streets of Sellwood look about like they did on Wednesday. Mostly clear and a little damp. Springwater heading east to around 82nd was covered with a light bit of snow and some packed stuff. Springwater heading north to OMSI had a light dusting and lots of clear spots.
It barely snowed an inch, c’mon people. No need to panic and clean out the grocery stores like it’s the apocalypse. Roads are totally clear. They always say it’s gonna be the storm of the century then nothing happens. Worth cancelling The Worst Day Ride? Don’t think so.
Apparently you aren’t aware we got five inches out here in east PDX. Add to that packed snow that has frozen on the roads and pretty much no sign of salt, gravel, or plows. Portland winter fail once again.
EAST Portland fail, particularly.
Yeah for sure! I’m in Parkrose and conditions are pretty poor overall.
Powell Blvd. east of 112th is a mix of frozen slush and snow with ruts from auto/truck traffic in the bike lanes. Wouldn’t try it on a bike! Stick to walking, or transit. Even while walking you’re susceptible to being struck by auto/truck/bus traffic as there are no sidewalks.
I try to avoid East Portland if I can help it
Yes both you and Portland’s leadership. ; )
Maybe not a good idea to extrapolate too much from your own localized data point. The further north and east you went, the more people got. I know people in NE who got 5 or more. East Vancouver to Camas got more than that.
I rode my bike up through Forest Park to Skyline on Saturday – there was significant snowfall up on Skyline . One of the Worst Day Routes went to the West side. It was a prudent decision.
They could have changed the route… canceling was a mistake and you will see next year sign up numbers decline, much like Cycle Oregons did.
I know it is rescheduled but maybe people have made other plans?
Just saying what usually occurs with events like these if they are seen as not reliable.
People will wait it sign up day of event leaving organizers in trouble.
Can you imagine how these people would react if the supermarkets all closed due to an oil crisis effecting supply chains? These little glimpses have me worried.
In Buckman roads and sidewalks are a little wet. I recommend wearing shoes instead of sandals.
How about socks? Are they needed?
Only if you’re wearing shorts.
Great though my distaste for southern California is, I’m happy to be here for a few more days. Also, because I hadn’t put on the studded snows in the mild weather we had before I left town. Looks like this is going to stick around, so that’s one of the first things I’ll do when I’m home.
It was 31 at 7AM across from Red tail and near Washington square. The road was slightly damp but it was dry by 9AM. It is 37 now with no rain and dry.
Not too bad in NE by 82nd and I-84. About two-three inches total. Things are snowy and slushy, so can be slippery, but I was out on an old mountain bike with big knobby tires and felt fine going slowly. I felt pretty bad ass when I didn’t fall once! 😉
It only takes one fall 🙁
Beaverton: the ground is dry. DRY!!
For these conditions you’re gonna need tires that are round, no question.
be careful on i-205 multi us path, at least by gateway. very icy
Watch out for the homeless camps too
Bought some studded bike tires. Guess I’ll just have to leave them on all year now, just in case.
I live in cully by Fire on the Mountain and we got a bit over 1.5″ and today was much worse for descending down the Alameda ridge, but after that super smooth sailing towards SE.
I totally slipped down my outside patio stairs to my back door, about 4 steps, yet felt nothing because of how many layers I wore, haha. I wore regular boots with rubber ice cleats and kept a foot out/ finger on brakes to descend Wistaria yesterday morning.
Going downhill on Klickitat this morning was actually fine and clear because the sun did a good job melting. Everything beyond Whole Foods ish seemed fine. My street is still a lumpy ice sheet, however.
Downtown is fine, lloyd district, n williams / vancouver / steel bridge all clear
i had the best time on bikes this weekend! while the storm didn’t amount to as much as i’d hoped, i rode about 50 miles over the weekend through snow squalls and into forest park frozen with snow and ice. so fun!