Image provided by: Oregon Historical Society; Portland, OR
About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 6, 1984)
January 6, 1984 Page 3 Year-end weather chills residents Signs of freezing Tracks in the Snow Spilyay Tymoo photo by Leno Spilyay Tymoo photo by Leno by Pat Leno transformers to short out. It December is the month that took several days for the cable many people walk around to be repaired. singing or humming “Winter Road conditions throughout W o n d e r l a n d ” o r “ I ’m the entire Central Oregon area D r e a m in g o f a W h ite were p osted w ith trav el Christmas,” but this year, by warnings of high winds, packed the time that the Christmas and snow, freezing rain, and icy winter season had arrived conditions. Accidents caused singing wasn’t to be heard from road closures, on highway 26. many people. On the Madras grade a truck The winter weather had jackedknifed caused a closure arrived in Warm Springs and of 12 hours. Local law surrounding areas long before enforcem ent agencies, r e s - ' the first official day of winter, ponded to numerous accidents, December 21. The area had had most of which were vehicles its first snowfall in November that had slid off the road intp but it was not enough to the ditch. The Warm Springs prepare the people for the police department had only one winter weather that December, reported accident with injuries 1983, brought. in a total of 21 reported When the snow arrived, it accidents. snowed for several days, giving M any trib a l and BIA the area nearly nine inches of employees did not enjoy a pow der, a skier’s dream. three-day weekend from work. S h o rtly a fte r the heavy The Tribal Utilities department snowfall, a freezing spell had an increase of work calls of followed with temperatures frozen and/or broken water' dropping to 14 below zero on pipes and complaints of “no December 22. The tempera heat.” Utilities crews put in tures for the next several days long hours working to return recorded a high of 4 degrees conditions that would make life and a low of minus 4 degrees. livable for many families. The W ith highways already BIA roads department were covered with snow and ice, also required to put in long thé cold increased unsafe road hours. They worked during the conditions. The severe cold was holidays and the weekends, reported to be responsible for sanding and plowing snow snapping power lines, causing, the roads. power outages throughout the One group of people school- Central Orégon area. The aged children, seemed to thrive Warm Springs community on the winter conditions, in power went out around 6 a.m. fact, many expressed they on December 23. Tribal and couldn’t think of a better time BIA offices were closed for the to have snow then during their day. The electric company Christmas break from school. attempted to connect the area A great many of the youngsters onto the Pelton Hydro-electric spent hours on sled runs they project. Some areas of Warm had built on the surrounding Springs had power restored hills of Warm Springs. within six hours, while other Following the snowfall was areas were without power for a . freezing rain which made road total of 16 cold and miserable conditions worse. For several hours. The North End, also was days the freezing rain fell without electricity for 16 hours. adding an inch-thick crust of A small area of homes in West ice to the top of the snow. The Hills was without power 10 frozen conditions made the h o u rs lo n g er th en th e ir snow appear almost like a sea neighbors just across the street. of white water covering the The power outage caused earth. It added to the already havoc with the local television harsh conditions of the road. cable system. In the Greensville Well, this area had a “White area a power line snapped and Christmas” and a “Winter fell ,a,c.ro>s,-., a- transformer, s Wonderland.” -Ever? wonder causing a chain reaction of what’s in store for this month? Sea of Ice Nighttime blizzard Spilyay Tymoo photo by Leno Spilyay Tymoo photo by Miller
