In Portland, Oregon we have a well-earned reputation for panic and paralysis when it comes to snow and ice storms. The crazy lines at the grocery store suggest people took the warnings from meteorologists seriously: up to two inches of snow on Saturday, transitioning to freezing rain Sunday. Half an inch of ice accumulation is possible, which will be problematic for roads, trees and powerlines. Before the snow had done more than dust the streets Saturday morning, shops were closing.

There are legitimate reasons for trepidation. Snow and ice are fairly rare winter events here. Our local media often ratchets up the hysteria with endless sidewalk reports when storms do hit. Driving is treacherous. Gravel and de-icer are used with limited effect on roads and freeways. Until this storm the Oregon Department of Transportation has avoided salting roads in the metro area because of environmental concerns. After a particularly bad storm (for Portland!) in December, ODOT announced a new policy to salt state freeways in specific circumstances. As of Friday, however, the agency didn’t have salt on hand.

Best thing to do? Stay off the streets! Our errands for the weekend are completed, and we’re watching the show from inside the warm home fortress. Enjoy the time lapse video I made of Snowpocalypse 2017. No chains or traction devices required:

As an aside, while it’s so cold our faces hurt, my sister is hiking through Argentina where it’s summertime with highs in the upper 80s. She’s sending pictures. How thoughtful. Grrr…