Central Oregon’s on-again, off-again winter turned back to the “on” position the day after Christmas, as two or three inches of snow came down Sunday over a fairly wide area, mainly from Bend to the south. Even more snow fell south of the High Desert, apparently contributing to a deadly crash on Highway 97 north of Chemult.

A snow advisory that began at midnight heralded snow that arrived in Bend around daybreak Sunday, falling for several hours, heavily at times. The advisory was canceled around 7:30 Sunday night by the National Weather Service, although forecasters said scattered light snow showers could drop another inch or two overnight, mainly south of Bend.

NWS spotters reported two inches of snow on Bend’s southeast side, three inches in the Sunriver-Three Rivers area and 3.5 inches in La Pine before tapering off late in the day.

The snow didn’t cause any serious-injury crashes in Deschutes County, according to 911 dispatchers, although it made for a more seasonal setting for post-Christmas bargain-hunting (or new sled, skis or snowboard use) than the 50-degree-plus readings of recent days.

A 20-year-old Klamath Falls woman was killed Sunday afternoon when the vehicle she was riding in was struck by a pickup truck on snow- and ice-covered Highway 97 about three miles north of Chemult, Oregon State Police reported.

Members of the OSP’s Gilchrist worksite responded around 2 p.m. to the reported crash near Milepost 199, about three miles north of Chemult, said Sgt. Mark Crisp. OSP reported a half-foot of new snow in that area and a foot of snow at the roadside.

An investigation determined that a southbound 1998 Jeep Wrangler driven by Melody Pelton, 24, of Klamath Falls, lost control on the icy highway and cross the center line sideways, then was struck on the passenger side by a northbound 1999 Dodge pickup truck driven by Marti O’Doherty, 45, of Prineville.

A passenger in the Wrangler, Andrea Grijalva, 20, of Klamath Falls, was pronounced dead at the scene. She was wearing safety restraints, Crisp said, as was Pelton, who was transported by a Crescent ambulance to St. Charles Medical Center-Bend, where she was treated and released.

There were four people in the pickup, all reportedly wearing safety restraints. Two were unhurt, while two others noted minor injuries that did not require a trip to the hospital, Crisp said.

Chains or traction tires only had to be carried, but were not required over the mountain passes Sunday night, but OSP reported spots of ice on Highway 97 south of Bend and black ice in the La Pine area.

To the north, weather may have played a role in a minor car crash in the Terrebonne area around 7:30 p.m. that knocked out phone service, including 911, for hundreds of residents in Terrebonne and Crooked River Ranch.

Qwest repair crews were on scene late Sunday night to make repairs, a 911 dispatcher said. Those without service can reach 911 via cell phone, but were asked not to call simply to inquire about how long the outage could last.

On the slopes, Mount Bachelor (www.mtbachelor.com) reported seven inches of new snow for a presumably fresher 49-inch base (though that’s little change from the 4-foot base reported for several days). Hoodoo Ski Area (www.hoodoo.com), shut after a brief opening due to the recent warm-up, reported five inches of new snow by Sunday morning, for a base of 14-17 inches, but needing 18 inches and a promise of more to reopen.

Forecasters said that’s likely later in the coming week, after an early warming that will push the snow level to 6,500 feet Monday night and Tuesday. A chance of showers returns at midweek, as the snow level dropps to 3,500 feet by Wednesday and 2,500 feet by Wednesday night. The chance of showers continues on into New Year’s weekend.

On the High Desert, meanwhile, the chance of snow showers returns Tuesday night, with possible rain during the day, in areas that rise above freezing.

This entry was posted on Sunday, December 26th, 2004 at 11:15 pm and is filed under Top Stories. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.