Slick roads led many schools, offices and businesses to shut down or delay opening this morning in the face of dangerous winter driving conditions.
Schools are closed in Medford, Ashland, Central Point, Grants Pass and most of the Rogue Valley, as are Southern Oregon University and Oregon Tech in Klamath Falls.
State government offices in Medford and Klamath Falls won’t open till 10:00 this morning. The U.S. District Court in Medford is closed.
The Rogue Valley Transportation District announced last night that some bus routes will reduce service today while others won’t run at all. If overnight road conditions deteriorate, RVTD said, it might close operations completely by mid–morning.
On I-5, there are periodic backups and delays from the California border to Stage Road Pass. Oregon Highway 66 is closed six miles east of Ashland, as are parts of Highway 273.
Officials urge motorists to avoid unnecessary travel and to carry safety equipment and supplies if they must drive.
Pacific Power said crews are working to restore power to close to 8,500 customers, mostly in the Grants Pass and Medford areas. The utility said some outages were likely to be extended because of weather conditions.