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Holiday Highways: Tough Sledding Ahead

National Weather Service

Nature threw some potential obstacles in front of travelers as Christmas 2016 approached. 

The National Weather Service warned of snow down to valley floor level by Christmas Eve. And by Friday afternoon (Dec. 23), highway cameras showed snow along Interstate Five on the Mt. Sexton pass.

The NWS forecasts show a lowering of snow levels continuing into Christmas Eve, but with a lessening of snow amounts at the same time.

Credit Oregon Department of Transportation
Cascade crossing are particularly tricky in the winter.

Travelers heading south out of Oregon on I-5 should not assume they'll find an easier time once across the Siskiyou Summit;California highway cameras showed significant snow in the Mount Shasta area as well.   The best bet: travel later.  Christmas Day forecasts show little or no precipitation in much of the area.Standard warnings from forecasters and police: if you have to travel, allow extra time to get where you're going, and check the conditions ahead of you frequently.

Geoffrey Riley is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism and has hosted the Jefferson Exchange on JPR since 2009. He's been a broadcaster in the Rogue Valley for more than 35 years, working in both television and radio.