By Ron Brown & Faris Tanyos

April 30, 2008

ASHLAND, Ore. -- The last snow survey of the water year was conducted on Monday. The survey measures snow depth and water content.

U.S. Forest Service Snow Surveyor Steve Johnson takes a survey five times a year on Mt. Ashland. Johnson says snow-water content measurements in the basin averaged 175 percent above normal levels for this time of year. He says some automated "snow-tell" sites reported snow water levels 500 to 600 percent above normal. Water stored in mountain snow is one predictor of summer water supplies for lakes and streams.

By Ron Brown

April 15, 2008

ASHLAND, Ore. -- A powerful spring storm Monday night left a layer of snow that covered cars, yards and houses overnight.

The Oregon Department of Transportation reported an official total of 10 inches of snow.

City workers were busy in areas of higher elevation working to restore power to about 200 residents whose electricity went out Monday morning.

Interstate 5 at the Siskiyou Summit was closed briefly in both directions. ODOT says white out conditions caused major accidents on the freeway.

By Andrea Pettes & Faris Tanyos

April 2, 2008

MEDFORD, Ore. -- With cold temperatures threatening crops, rising fuel costs are making it difficult for orchards to keep production costs low.

Orchards run burners at night to protect their fruit from damage. In the past, orchards fueled their burners with petroleum.

"Each (burner) burns a gallon of fuel an hour. So we'd burn 2,500 to 3,000 gallons of fuel an hour if we were protecting the orchard with petroleum only. So that about $8,000 dollars an hour on 100 acres."

Bob Kurko, an inventor from Cave Junction, developed a product called Ultra Clean Fuel Catalyst. It allows orchardists to purchase waste oil at lower prices and then add the catalyst to the oil. The fuel is then clean and emission free.

"It will last longer. They can buy fuel cheaper because it can blend used motor oil with the diesel fuel, or they can just use used motor oil," says Kurko.

Since the product is all natural, the company relies on the orchardists for some of their product in return.

"We'll be able to buy cold fruits and gasses to make the product that we use, its all natural stuff," says Kurko.

Orchardists say the product allows them to save about one dollar per gallon of fuel.

By Janet Kim & Faris Tanyos

April 1, 2008

CENTRAL POINT, Ore. -- Southern Oregon is experiencing record-breaking snow depth measurements.

The high snow levels in the mountains are expected to increase water levels in rivers and creeks.

"We are absolutely delighted because we are on the end of the irrigation district systems that go through the valley, it's really important to us to have a good supply of water and absolutely critical as far as growing things," says Seven Oaks Farm Owner Doreen Bradsaw.

Not only are irrigators paying close attention to snow levels, but so are fire crews, who say the snow levels could have an impact on the fire season up in the higher elevations.

"We don't just monitor the snow line. We monitor how much snow is up there, water content there is, how much rain we got locally in the valleys and in the hills. And compare it to previous years to see what the fire danger was when the fire season started," says Greg Alexander of the Oregon Department of Forestry.

Fire crews say this year's snow depth could also work in their favor by delaying fire season, or at least minimizing the impacts of fire in higher elevations.

"I think it will help a little bit with the start of the fire season, and I know the creeks will probably be running longer this year, when they normally dry up. And the ponds and reservoirs will helped to be filled up quicker and have more water in them," says Alexander.

With the snowpack encouraging more growth on the valley floors, it could provide more fuel for fire at lower elevations with grass growing thicker or longer.

On average, fire season starts mid-May.

By Chelsea Muller & Faris Tanyos

March 31, 2008

MEDFORD, Ore. -- Low temperatures are putting Rogue Valley orchards and vineyards at risk of damage to their crops.

However, many are utilizing methods to fight the cold weather. Eden Valley Orchards in Medford is able to use over-head irrigation to protect their trees and vines from freezing. They essentially drench their pear trees and grape vines, eventually covering them with ice.
 
"As the water freezes, it pushes heat back into the blossom. So in the actual chemistry side or physics side of the water freezing, it puts in heat and protects the blossom," says Eden Valley Orchards Co-Owner Anne Root. 

Other orchards have been turning on heaters that blow hot air on trees. Representatives of Meyer Orchards say they turned on their heaters, but still saw about 10 percent damage to their peach blooms. Peaches are more vulnerable as there blossoms are further along than pears.

BY MIKE NELSON

March 27, 2008

SALEM, Ore. -- With winter weather persisting, the Oregon Department of Transportation is extending the deadline to remove studded tires to April 5th.

The original deadline was April 1st. ODOT says drivers who don't plan on going into the mountains should remove their studs early to prevent road damage.

Missing the deadline could result in a $145 fine. The state of Washington has made the same decision.

BY DEREK KEVRA & FARIS TANYOS

March 25, 2008

MEDFORD, Ore. -- For many people, the start of spring usually brings with it the all too familiar symptoms of allergies.

Many people turn to the Allergy and Asthma Center of Southern Oregon for relief. However, located behind the building, is a unique tool used to actually measure why certain days are worse than others for allergy sufferers. It's a rotorod sampler, or more simply put, a pollen counter. The device uses a one-inch long glass rod to collect pollen grains. Covered with a silicon gel, the rod spins once every 10 minutes in a circle measuring how much pollen is in a cubic meter of air. Once a day the rod is analyzed in a lab and each pollen grain is counted. The Rogue Valley has some of the worst allergens in the U.S., and while northern pasture grass remains the greatest allergenic burden in the region, many others are still key players.

"Cottonwood, grasses, we see a lot of weeds and then molds," says Lab Technician Stephen Scott.

Officials with the center say that this is probably the only pollen counting center between Eugene and Sacramento.

BY JANET KIM & FARIS TANYOS

March 13, 2008

ASHLAND, Ore. -- The winter snowfall is still having lasting effects on buildings in Southern Oregon. Many construction projects have been delayed because of weather.

Callahan's Lodge has been working to rebuild since it burned down in 2006. However, this winter saw at least six feet of snow fall on the construction site. Callahan's owners say they are pushing back the expected opening date because of that.

March 11, 2008

ASHLAND, Ore. -- Tuesday was the first day of operation for the Rogue Valley Growers and Crafters Market.

Not all vendors are represented at the market yet. Sellers say that is because the busiest growing season is just underway. The market, which is in its 21st year, is held at the Ashland Armory parking lot on Tuesdays. Starting this Thursday, the Medford market will be open every Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Medford armory.

BY CHELSEA MULLER

March 5, 2008

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore.  --  The Klamath Basin sees around 300 days of sunshine.  One homeowner is hoping to take advantage it with a new type of solar panel.

Southern Oregon's first Sunpower Solar Array was installed on a Klamath Falls home this week.  The 12-panel system is expected to offset 100 percent of his energy demand with Pacific Power.

There are very few solar systems installed in the Klamath Basin, despite the area having one of the best climates for the technology.

"The coolness here, combined with the amount of sun, is very good for solar," said Sunlight Solar Project Manager Chance Currington.  "The temperature has an inverse relationship with voltage. So the cooler that it is, the higher the voltage you get out of the panels."

This Sunpower Solar panel has metal contacts on the back rather than the front, which makes them more efficient and visually appealing.

BY KRIS NIELSON

February 18, 2008

MEDFORD, Ore.  --  The preview of spring weather is waking up the gardener in many of us.  The week of warm temperatures and dry weather is wiping out some nurseries that have seen a surge in business.

Out comes the sun and green thumbs flood the market.  At the Grange Co-Op, a steady stream of gardeners is buying up the plants as soon as the store can get them in.  Employees say fruit trees and anything with a little color is selling out almost every day.

The manager of the Grange Nursery says this time of year is perfect for planting but premature for pruning.  He says pruning can speed up the budding process and start growth a little too early.   

Now is the time for planting and protecting plants with a heavy mulch and fertilizer.

"It's a great time to be putting things in the ground where we've got this kind of a fall-spring it gets everybody excited and wanting to go.  It's wonderful to put in raspberries, strawberries, some of our early vegetables, as long as things are protected," he said.

The manager says they receive several calls a day about lawn care.  He says a low-nitrogen fertilizer is the key to a green and strong lawn early in the season.

A stronger lawn early in the season will keep the weed count down.  The temperatures are not right for a weed and feed just yet, now is the time to fertilize and keep plants safe from frost.

BY CHELSEA MULLER

February 15, 2008

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. -- The 29th annual Winter Wings festival is now underway. The event celebrates the return of bald eagles and other birds to the area. The event draws hundreds every year to take in some of the best bird watching in the country.

Vendors, presenters and several hundred visitors have descended on Klamath Falls. Coordinators say the recent snowstorms made them a little nervous leading up to this weekend. But now say the inclement weather has provided a better attraction. "What the snows did was tend to congregate birds though into the pools of open water," says Diana Samuels, the event coordinator. That gives watchers even better viewing opportunity for the thousands of swan and geese that have migrated to Klamath.

"This here is an example of one of our power polls," says Toby Freeman, with Pacific Power. His company is a title sponsor of the event and is taking the time to show off their protective power polls. "Particularly this time of year, it's just amazing how many eagles, hawks, falcons and water fowl you see here, and we want to make sure that their visit to Klamath Falls is a safe one."

The event incorporates the entire community. Expert guides are leading bird watching tours around the basin, and plenty of activities are being planned for the little ones. "We have a number of presenters who are bringing live birds," says Samuels. "The children can view them up close and personal and interact with them."

Tonight's keynote speaker stopped at Mills Elementary this afternoon to give the kids a sneak peek. "They've actually prompted me to learn some things that I never knew because I think, wow, no one ever asked me that," says Trish Nixon, a Raptor Specialist.

The main event is bird watching but much of the festival focuses on nature, in general.

Classes on beginning bird watching are also available.

The Winter Wings Festival continues all day Saturday in OIT's college union.  Prices for some of the tours and presentations vary between $5 and $75 plus a $10 registration fee.   There are some special rates available for local residents, students and seniors.

BY ASHLEY HALL

February 12, 2008

MEDFORD, Ore. -- Jackson County roads are clear of ice and snow today, but last week's wintry weather is still impacting drivers. "When we get icy and snowy conditions, we distribute sand and cinders on the road to improve tractions during those treacherous situations," says Mike Kuntz, withe the Jackson County roads department. and once the weather improves, we get to go up and pick up the rock we spread around."

Street sweepers like Chuck Mondale are working full-time to clear roads of sand and gravel. "The rock helps while it's icy or snowy (but) the rocks turn into ball bearings when it's dry," says Mondale. 

But keeping drivers safe is not the only reason street sweepers are out on the roads. "Especially in the more curb and gutter sections, it would wash into the curb and storm drain systems and would flow into the various drainage systems," says Kuntz. "That's something not good for the native habitat."

"I've got a nice piece of machinery, my mechanics keep it up," says Mondale of his sweeper. "It beats having to do it with a broom and shovel, that's for sure."

The county spends a lot of time cleaning up the sand and gravel from the roads, the majority of which gets pushed into a ditch. Then every one to three years, they come back through and clean out the ditches.

BY CHELSEA MULLER

February 11, 2008

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. -- Work crews are surveying the scene after another building collapsed under the weight of heavy snow. The Market Street building in Klamath Falls fell this afternoon.

Police had to block off a section of Market Street after the building knocked down a live power line. Workers at a neighboring auto repair shop called 911 when they heard the building collapse. "All of a sudden the ground shook and it felt like an earthquake," says Marvin Schenck, who saw the building fall.

Fire crews do not believe anyone was in the building at the time. The Kingsley Bowmen Archery Club operates the building.

BY KRIS NIELSON

February 8, 2008

UNION CREEK, Ore. -- The rising cost of fuel is driving up the cost to keep warm. The cost of propane is up 30 percent from last year, and both customers and gas companies are feeling the affects.

If you follow the price for a barrel of oil, you can plan your budget for heating you home. For those who use propane, that is more true this year than ever before. "I don't think there's really been a year like this in propane," says Dean Lewis, with Blue Star Gas. His company has been in the propane business for 70 years. Lewis says for as long as he can remember, this is the first year prices have gone up so high, so fast, that it became hard to pre-purchase fuel. "You budget for certain things, and when you hit this unexpected kind of spike it's hard," he says. "(With) energy prices, there's nothing you can do."

The fuel increase and cold weather is keeping Blue Star busy, but it is seeing a change in customer usage. "Because of the prices, people are trying as many ways to keep that bill down as they can," says Lewis.

"There were those stretches that we were cold at night, that we would go through three tanks a week," says Christine Mackison, the owner of Shooting Star Nursery in Central Point. She and her husband are building an energy-efficient home. They say with the unpredictable price of propane, they have chosen electricity and solar power instead of the gas.

While building the home, the Mackisons have been using propane to heat their trailer during the cold months, but as business owners, they say the increase in propane has not affected the business. They are more concerned about oil prices. "Just getting through the winter heating ourselves is a factor, but for the business I'd say gas prices affect things much more," says Mackison.

With the cold, this year is full of snow, making it more difficult for propane trucks to reach customers. But Lewis says the company and the customers usually plan ahead. "We fill them early, they have tank sizes that will last through the worst part of it, and we time it to where it's a good opportunity to get in," he says.

Lewis says with energy costs, there is little you can do to save money and fuel. He did say some companies offer a pre-pay program where you can purchase your fuel and lock in the price. That's perfect for times like these when prices suddenly jump.

BY JANET KIM

February 8, 2008

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore.  --  Crews are working to get snow-covered buildings in the Klamath Basin back open.  The Oregon Institute of Technology is hoping to reopen next week after closing because of snowfall piling on roofs.

OIT administrators say they tried to keep open the doors as long as possible, but with two feet of snow piling up on the roof in addition to rain and winds, they say it was impossible to stay open any longer.  Crews have been working to clear snow from the roofs of three primary classroom buildings, including Owens, Boiven and Semon halls. 

"We've had difficulty finding crews because other roofs in the basin are suffering the same things we are," said OIT Facilities Manager David Ebson.

Each building has a footprint of 40,000 square feet, so each roof covers about an acre. The now sagging roofs are built to bounce back to normal position once the snow is removed, but facility managers say the continuous snowfall exceeded capacity and they are now determining long term damages.

"For lighter snow, it would have been just fine, up to a foot, 18 inches would be fine. After that, it becomes problematic and that's where we are now," Ebson said.

OIT stayed open throughout last week's snow storm, to some students' dismay.

"Luckily with me living here on campus, I didn't have to travel through it, but I know a lot of my classmates didn't end up coming in so there was five out of 20 plus people that showed up for class," said Jared Zwanziger, a student at OIT.

School leaders say the trouble with snow days is there is no formal policy for make-up days.

"When they aren't in class, they aren't receiving the portion of the class they paid for," said OIT Public Relations Director Valeree Lane.

While most of the campus is closed, campus security has been working around the clock to give students as much access to other buildings to prepare for class next week.  The residence hall and college union remain open and students wanting to access some laboratories are asked to call campus safety.

OIT administrators say crews will continue to work Friday and Saturday. They are confident school will resume on Monday.

BY JANET KIM

Febraury 8, 2008

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. --  For the first day this week, all Klamath County and Klamath Falls schools are open. 

Some schools, like Mazama High School have been closed since Monday.  The roofs of several business buildings around town caved in and administrators say they didn't want to take any chances.

The bulk of the snow is off Mazama's roof, but the clean up at the larger schools took much longer than expected.  Even some of the students were getting impatient.         

"It was just like having another Christmas break and I don't want to go into extra days after school, so being at school's a good thing," said Mazama senior Tanner Taylor.

"Taking care of the safety of the staff and students. That's real important and you can't over look that even though we want to be back in school," said Mazama principal Terry Bennett.

Kingsley Field guardsmen helped clean off some of the schools.  Despite all the days off this week, administrators say, as of now, they won't have to make up instruction time this summer.

BY TIM CONROY

February 8, 2008

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. --  The Oregon Institute of Technology closed Thursday for snow removal and will be closed again Friday.

The closure was a surprise, but administrators say snow removal from the roof of Owens Hall was taking too long for the school to reopen. The roofs of three halls on campus are sagging because of the snow. The roofs were built to sag when too much snow is on them. They are expected to be fine once the snow is cleared off.

A civil engineer will inspect all the buildings before classes resume.

All other schools in the basin are expected to be open for class on Friday.

BY COLLEEN BORMANN

February 7, 2008

VALLEY FALLS, Ore. --  People living in Lake County are still feeling the effects of this week's winter weather.  Some still can't get out of their own driveways.

Valley Falls is just north of Lakeview in Lake County.  It is an area that doesn't usually get much snow, but with the mix of recent heavy snowfall and strong winds, some families are finding themselves literally trapped inside in their homes.

These pictures are from Wendi Mackey's home in Valley Falls.  She says they're receiving nine to ten-foot snowdrifts.  The strong winds are making it nearly impossible to keep the roads paved, and since she was unable to get out of her own home, she lost her job Thursday.

"My neighbors, we try to help each other out, but were land-locked, we cant get out at either side of our property," Mackey said.

The road master in Lake County says they have to prioritize major roads and school routes.  They're in constant communication with families in rural areas, but with the high drifts and the strong winds, they don't have enough staff to visit those rural roads as often. 

Lake County crews say, since they've been under a state of emergency, the department received a large snowblower from Kingsley Field, which should help with the roads since the snow has been too deep for most of their equipment to handle.

BY CHELSEA MULLER

February 7, 2008

CHILOQUIN, Ore. --  Snow is still trapping some people around our region. Some people living in outlying areas haven't been able to leave their homes for a week.  With the extreme weather the region has seen, the county wants to make sure they'll be ready if these people need help.

Even within Chiloquin city limits, it's tough getting around.  But for people in rural areas, getting to downtown has been impossible.

"There've been people who've had to walk out a quarter, third of a mile to get to their cars to get out. Outside city limits there's no plowing unless you contract it privately," said Mary Stohr, who lives in Chiloquin.

Mary says these people know to stock up.

"Cause we do get snows here, this one was just a little bigger and better than most," Stohr said. "I can't find my back patio and I've got a berm taller than I am in front of my house."

Thursday, Red Cross volunteers packed boxes with food to deliver anyone who's not able to make it past their berm.

"Currently, the people who are stranded are still stranded from all the snow. They haven't been out of their homes in a while and we're worried they won't be able to get out for more days and food may run out," said Klamath County Red Cross Volunteer Sharla Bishop.

In each one, there’s enough food for two people to last two days.  The Klamath-Lake Counties Food Bank donated the food. 

The Camp Fire Girls and the Salvation Army also leant a hand.

"Search and Rescue alerted up this weekend that they had some people who were stranded," Bishop said.

"Up near the Chiloquin area where we needed to check on some folks. It turned out they were fine, but they thought that if they weren't able to get plowed out in the next few days, they were going to need some help," said Klamath County Sheriff Tim Evinger.

Klamath County Search and Rescue Crews have snowmobiles and tracked vehicles ready to go in case they need to get to anyone else but they want to have food on board to fill a bare shelf.

"We need to be preemptive and think ahead and not wait until people don't have food," Bishop said,

All county schools and city schools will be open Friday.  They've been closed while snow is removed from their roofs. OIT, however, will be closed for snow removal.

Emergency workers say they're still most concerned about roofs, especially with any rain in the forecast.  Snow will act like a sponge, adding weight to some already stressed roofs.

BY CHELSEA MULLER

February 6, 2008

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. --  The city of Klamath Falls might help the county clean up air in the basin.  Federal air quality standards are now tougher and Klamath County says the basin will not pass the test because of old wood-burning stoves.

The county has received an EPA grant to tackle the issue and help low-income people replace their old stove.

"There's approximately 1300 woodstoves within the greater Basin area that need to be replaced," said Betty Riley, with the South Central Oregon Economic Development District.

"The city would like to assist. We've got some funds that are repaid loans from the 80's," said Klamath Falls City Manager Jeff Ball. "Those funds can be used for purposes like this."

The city council is not willing to hand over all of the $260,000 but will distribute it according to where they see a need.  The air around Peterson Elementary is a main area of focus.

Anyone who thinks they might qualify can call 884-5589.

BY CHELSEA MULLER

February 6, 2008

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. --  Efforts to clean up after this weekend's storm are still underway and, in Klamath Falls, schools, state buildings, and grocery stores are still closed.

The sun has been shining for the past three days and people have been working around the clock, but the basin is still struggling to snap back from this latest snow storm.

"We were out here shoveling and we heard the glass breaking and stuff down the street," said Bill Trento of Parr Lumber.

The past few days, Parr Lumber has seen two buildings nearby crumble under the weight of snow. On Monday, they ran boards down the street to the Balsinger Building, to hold up what will still in tact. Since then, Yard Manager Bill Trento knows police and fire are spred thin. He says this time of year is slow for his crew and can help around town.

"We've got a plow on one of our fork lifts, we can drive it our there and plow them out," Trento said. "The last thing you want to do is send them home and cut their hours this time of year, so we thought it'd be a win-win for us and the community."

Workers have traveled hours to capitalize on the roof clearing efforts, some of them coming from the coast to hop on Klamath roofs.

Moving snow from the roofs to the pavement is causing another concern. Fire District One is asking for the public's help with digging out fire hydrants. They say response time is hurt when crews have to dig around in the snow to find water.

Eleven schools were still shut down Wednesday, as well as the DHS building. The downtown Safeway has been closed since Monday. It was evacuated when employees noticed signs of stucture failure. It's the only grocery store downtown, frustrating people in the neighborhood.

"We're all waiting," said Lindsey Rote. "Unless you want to go to Thunderburd and walk all the way. I have no car, so of course, it's convenient."

According to Safeway, the building has no perminate damage and is ready to re-open now that the roof is clear of snow. However, it was still closed Wednesday evening.

Both school districts says they need more time for snow removal. Eagleridge, Henley and Chiloquin High schools will all be closed again Thursday.

BY RON BROWN

February 6, 2008

NEAR UNION CREEK, Ore. --  Some of the heaviest snows in a decade are causing continued headaches for state highway crews trying to keep roads open.  Wednesday, O-DOT workers were trying to get Highways 62 and 230 open between Prospect, Crater Lake, and the Diamond Lake Highway.

A rotary snowplow is working its way down Highway 230 toward Union Creek. A grader with a snowplow blade is pushing snow off Highway 62 between Prospect and Union Creek, and in between, workers have been busy cutting downed trees out of the way.

"We're removing those trees that were in imminent danger of falling. The snow loads in these trees were very heavy. They were leaning out over the road and they were in imminent danger of falling. We've taken those danger trees out and everything else we've left," said O-DOT Regional Manager John Vial.

The problem is that the corridor of trees is part of what makes the highway a scenic route.  Vial says warmer weather Tuesday allowed a lot of the treetop snow to drop off, and what were hazard trees, returned upright, but there's still a lot of snow to move.

"We've got so much snow now that the regular plows can't throw the snow up and over the berm," said O-DOT Maintenance Manager Dan Metz.  "Which means our blowers have to be running essentially 24 hours a day now for the rest of the winter."

The Union Creek Resort is also digging out, and says the road closures slow business.

"We've lost a lot of money from the reservations on the weekend and stuff like that. We've had to cancel a few people already because we just can't accommodate them," said Terry Buttram, with Union Creek Resort.

Vial says, not only is the snow depth a problem but after the weekend storm, trees overhead were reaching over and almost touching each other and that's where they started falling, creating a danger that highway crews were not willing to risk.

Now that the snow has somewhat dropped off of the trees and the sun has come out a little bit, they're getting a chance to get the road cleared out and they expect it'll be open within the next day or so.  Highways 230 and 62 should be open by Thursday afternoon.

Crater Lake Park Access, however, is still only open from the south side by way of Fort Klamath.

BY RON BROWN

February 6, 2008

NEAR ASHLAND, Ore. -- The Greensprings Highway is back open after a truck accident closed it for most of the morning. Operators of a tractor-trailer say they got lost in the fog trying to get to Klamath Falls and found themselves slipping toward the guardrail. That was about 14 miles east of Ashland. They disconnected the trailer and tried to drive off without chains, but instead slid backward alongside the trailer and became stuck.

Highway officials say it's illegal to drive a truck that long over the Greensprings Highway, and the operators could get a citation.

BY CHELSEA MULLER

February 5, 2008

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. --  Despite a two-day break in the weather, areas east of the Cascades are still trying to dig their way out of the recent snowstorms.

Several schools were closed again Tuesday and road crews are wearing thin as they scramble to catch up before another storm hits.  More closures have been announced for Wednesday.

"We do have old buildings and, unfortunately, most of them have flat roofs which is not conducive to heavy snow load," said Klamath County Schools Superintendent Greg Thede. 

Klamath school districts often go years without a single snow day, but this latest storm has shut many schools down for several days just this week.  The Klamath County School District has been hit especially hard.

"First, because of the inclement weather and now, secondly, because of the snow load on our roofs, but if we're going to err, it's going to be on the side of safety," Thede said.

Snow has caused several roofs to cave in over the past two days, news that inspired many to start shoveling.

"We had some concerns but, certainly, the roods that collapsed in town expedited the process," Thede said.

The county school district has about 45 people working to clear roofs and engineers are inspecting the structures from inside.  The goal is to get roofs clear before any more weather hits the basin.

"The last week in particular, we ran our snow plows 24 hours a day for seven days straight," said Senior Master Sergeant Michael Jones, the operations superintendent for civil engineering at Kingsley Field.

Crews at Kingsley Field have been spending long hours keeping the Klamath Falls Airport and their own hangars running as usual.  No flights have been canceled because of snow.

"One of our guys was out here 12 hours a day, went home and his car port had fell down on top of his four-wheelers, but he was here the next day with a smile on his face," said Jones.

Crews from Kingsley have also been sent to Lake County, where commissioners declared a winter storm emergency.  Towns like Lakeview have run out of money to clean up the snow themselves.

Three schools in the Klamath Falls School District and eight Klamath County School District schools will be closed on Wednesday for continued snow removal.

The following schools will be closed in the Klamath Falls School District:

- Conger Elementary School

- Mazama High School

- Ponderosa Middle School

The following schools will be closed in the Klamath County School District:

- Altamont Elementary School

- Brixner Junior High School

- Chiloquin Elementary School

- Chiloquin High School

- Fairhaven Elementary School

- Ferguson Elementary School

- Henley High School

- Stearns Elementary School

February 5th, 2008

By: Derek Kevra

Say hello to Mrs. Abramson's second grade class from White City Elementary School!  What a well behaved group of kids.  Thanks for letting me stop by guys!

BY CHELSEA MULLER

February 4, 2008

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. --  Despite a day of sunny skies, mounds of snow can still be seen all around Klamath Falls, especially flat topped roofs.  There have been no serious injuries but authorities hope people will clear off some of the snow before another storm hits.

A former print shop is now a pile of rubble.  The downtown building fell to the ground early Sunday under the weight of snow.  Monday morning, a section of the roof at the Egyptian Plaza caved in.  Broken glass was shot about 50 feet as the midsection gave way.

No injuries have been reported at either incident.  Several other buildings have been shut down around town to avoid a similar fate.  The only grocery store downtown might be gone for good.

Shortly after opening, employees of the downtown Safeway evacuated the building, fearing it would collapse.

"Some of the people inside heard some loud popping noises and were experiencing doors that were having problems, that are also indicative of structure failure," said Monte Keady, Fire Division Chief of Klamath County.

Several of the front windows were cracking, another sign of stressed building.

"It's out of commission now and if we find structural damage, it may be out of business until they can actually fix that," he said. "If it does fall, it's not going to be a surprise to us now, hopefully."

Both, Pelican Elementary and Mazama High School had to close around noon.  The Klamath Falls School District says engineers felt students and staff should be out of the buildings before any snow was removed.

Pelican Elementary will be open Tuesday, but Mazama High School will still be closed.  All of the structural beams at Mazama will be checked before it is reopened.

Even though this past storm dumped light fluffy snow, it can accumulate to a heavy mass that's too much for many roofs to hold.

"Most of the times you just get the edges cleared off up to about three feet in on the roof, it takes enough stress off the structure that you shouldn't have any problem," said Scott Rice, Klamath County Deputy Fire Marshall.

BY RON BROWN

February 4, 2008

PROSPECT, Ore. --  Barricade barrels across Highway 62 at the Prospect Ranger Station let the public know that 22 miles of the road is too dangerous to drive, even for transportation workers.  About 6:00 a.m. Sunday, 58-year-old Bert Fernandez was driving this truck between Prospect and Union Creek when a large tree snapped off and smashed across the cab. He's in the hospital, and is expected to make a full recovery, but ODOT officials are taking no more chances.

"'It's a safety issue. We have trees leaning over the roads that are extremely heavy with snow and they continue to fall and working in that environment right now is simply too dangerous," said ODOT Manager John Vial.

The snow is several feet deep and Vial says some roadside banks are up to 15 feet tall. He says it'll take a rotary plow to clear the road.  Local residents and forest service officials say it's definitely an unusual winter.

"We have winter recreation going on -- snowmobilers and cross-country skiers come up -- but the winter, the back-to-back-to-back storms --it's even keeping those people at a minimum," said Bryce Leppek, a Forest Service spokesman.

"This is the most snow I've ever seen since I went to school here, where we used to have to walk uphill both ways to school so, but other than that, this is the worst winter snow I've ever seen at Prospect," said Steve Little, a long-time Prospect resident.

After Sunday's accident that nearly killed an ODOT worker, state highway crews say that they're not about to work on the section of road until they can get the other end of the road opened up. They'll only go in with the help of some forest service officials to get some of the hazardous trees out of the way first.

O-DOT hopes to have Highways 138 and 230 open by Tuesday, but it may be Wednesday at the earliest before Highway 62 can be open to traffic.

BY CHELSEA MULLER

February 1, 2008

LAKEVIEW, Ore. -- "We're running out of places to put the snow," says Ray Simms. It is February 1, and the town of Lakeview has already spent its budget for contracted service. With more snow on the way and just a few people staffed to clean it up, they need help.

"Our crews are working overtime, are tired," says Simms, the town manager. "We're out of money, having trouble with emergency response, ambulance, fire, all of those things with the driveways full and county roads plugged. It's just beyond our ability locally to deal with it."

The decrease in timber funds has affected the county's storm resources severely. "We're a timber dependent community," says county commissioner Brad Winters. "Our staff and our employees at the road department are way down below half of what they were during the last real bad snow storm winter we had in '93."

Back then, the county had at least 40 people on staff to clean up the roads. Today, there's only 15, meaning the county doesn't have the resources to help towns like Lakeview. "Our road boss is putting in an unbelievable amount of hours, and we have some retirees and past employees who have stepped up and come back and helped us," says Winters.

With more snow in the forecast, both county and city reps hope Friday's emergency storm declaration will free up federal BLM and forest crews to help dig the area out.

BY RON BROWN

February 1, 2008

NEAR ASHLAND, Ore. -- Snow that's been causing problems for highway travelers is good news for water managers. Today, snow surveyors from Talent Irrigation District waded into chest-deep drifts to see just how deep that snow is and how much water it contains.

Gordon Pendelton and Steve Essary strapped on snowshoes and slogged through 4-6 foot drifts today to measure snow and water content near Hyatt Lake and Howard Prairie. Every month they make the measurements, which this year look a lot better than average.

"The difference between last year (is) we had warmer weather in between each storm," says Pendelton. "It would melt the snow off so it would fill the lakes up faster. The nice thing about this year (is) we have more ice packs, so that means we'll have more of a bank of water that will carry us through the summertime."

The district has several snow courses where measurements are taken, from the 4,500-foot level up to 5,500 feet. A special snow vehicle gets them to the hard-to-reach places.

"(The) deeper the snow is, the harder it is to walk through. But outside of that, the more snow we have, the better off we are," says Pendelton.

A Forest Service snow survey near Mt. Ashland on Thursday revealed overall snow depth 86 percent above normal, with water content in the snow 65 percent above normal. Pendelton says this snow is the best he's seen in the last ten years.

Snow surveys like that done by TID, the Forest Service and other agencies provides a pretty good look ahead as to what water may be stored in the mountains. It will run into streams and lakes later this summer when it's really needed. What they see this year is so much better than the last few years, that they're optimistic there should be plenty of water for everybody's use in the year to come.

BY COLLEEN BORMANN

January 31, 2008

NEAR ASHLAND, Ore. -- A section of Interstate-5 was closed for almost five hours Thursday and could be treacherous for several days to come.

It was a long day for travelers looking to get across the state line. The pass was closed down around noon because of dangerous levels of snow and numerous accidents on the pass. It re-opened tonight at five, but left travelers with some tough decisions.

The dangerous driving weather started early in the morning, Thursday. The consistent snow proved too dangerous for drivers, especially since chains weren't enough.

"The snow's goin' down and packin' into about an inch to an inch and a half of ice and they're spinnin' on top of that," said Jim Henney with O-DOT.

O-DOT crews made the decision to close the pass because drivers were struggling in the severe conditions. The closure backed up Interstate-5 with trucks lining up as far north as Phoenix.

"I was surprised, I saw all the trucks lined up and thought what's going on," said truck driver Lyra Williams.

And by sunset, not much had changed.

It was a long, cold, and frustrating day for most drivers, and while many waited it out in their cars and trucks for nearly five hours, some decided to head home.

Williams was one of the hundreds of truckers left to make a decision. She's new to the job and has never driven over the Siskiyou Pass.

"I was told we have to chain up," said Williams. "I'm not sure if I want to go there," she said.

The pass re-opened by 5:00 p.m. like O-DOT predicted, but traffic was moving slowly and, while Williams decided to head back north until the storm clears, most made the decision to chain up and head over the pass.

The restrictions have been on and off all day. As of 11:00 p.m., drivers are required to carry chains, but depending on the weather, everything could change.

BY CHELSEA MULLER

January 31, 2008

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. --  Even the Klamath Basin, which has more snow experience than the Rogue Valley, is having a hard time dealing with this latest storm.  It's the worse the area has seen in 15ears.

The harsh conditions started rolling in Wednesday, causing a double-fatal accident on Oregon Route 140, but the chaos continued through Thursday.

Although school was cancelled Thursday, nobody was playing outside.  White out conditions shut down many roads and highways throughout the day, catching everyone off guard.  

"It seems about every ten years, it really dumps like this and creates these conditions and we just aren't used to it," said Klamath County Sheriff Tim Evinger.

Everyone, from detectives to administrators, has been out on patrol.

"You know, any speed is really too fast today," Evinger said.  "Common sense has got to prevail and unless you absolutely have to be somewhere, this is a day to stay home."

This afternoon, semis were lined up off U.S. Route 97, waiting out the severe weather, north of Klamath Falls.

"It's hard to see, even if they let you go, it's very dangerous to go cause you can't see at all," said a truck driver who was trying to work his way through the area.

The Oregon Institute of Technology was the only campus open Thursday.  Administrators eventually decided to close campus at 4:00 p.m. so people could try and make it home before dark.

"We're going to keep the union and the food service open all night so that they can stay and rest there and get up and go to class in the morning," said Bob Nettles, VP of Finance and Administration at OIT.

Some students say the efforts are too little too late.  The Associated Student Body started circulating petitions, calling for better snow day restrictions.

The Klamath-Lake Community Action services had to conduct an unsheltered homeless count, Thursday, a nearly impossible task against the elements.

"It's required by Oregon Housing and Community services, and they get their funding through HUD, and they need numbers, need to know what our homeless population looks like in order to give us the correct funding," said Lee Ann Tidwell, with Klamath & Lake Community Action Services.

The group hopes another count in the summer months will support the funding they need.  Starting at midnight, the city will be hauling snow out of downtown Klamath Falls.

The effort is expected to go through noon Friday and crews are asking that you avoid the area if possible.          

BY SUSAN WHITE

January 31, 2008

NEAR ASHLAND, Ore. --  The Siskiyou Pass is closed, and Klamath Falls is under whiteout conditions. It's just the latest in a round of severe storms this winter. Emergency officials are also asking people in the Klamath Basin to stay home because the roads are so dangerous and the south side of Interstate-5 is starting to look more like a parking lot, as truckers settle in for a long night.

The pass closed around noon Thursday and trucks were lined up as far north as Phoenix by 5:00. O-DOT says the dangerous amounts of snow and the number of vehicle spinouts didn't leave much choice but to close the pass. Even chains were not enough for some big rigs, and it took the help of O-DOT pusher trucks to get the trucks moving again.

The closure means a long line of vehicles waiting to get across the state line. For up to date information, drivers can call 511 from their cell phones for updates or check readerboards along the interstate.

All this snow has set a new kind of record in our area. The Ashland Ranger District has been taking snow surveys at the Siskiyou Summit since 1935. The average for the month of January is 19 inches and a 62-inch record has been held since 1969. Thursday's measurement of 65 inches is a new record for the month, a whopping 342 percent above normal. By comparison, the snow depth last year was only 12 inches.

Water content is impressive also. It equals 18.4 inches which is 347 percent above average. More snow will add to the total Thursday night as more snow falls on the summit and not much sun is in the forecast.

BY ANDREA PETTES

January 30, 2008

MEDFORD, Ore. --  Much of the snow is melting now, but it was another messy start for drivers Wednesday morning, dealing with icy roads and falling snow.  The winter weather prompted many schools to cancel classes for a third day in several districts, but Ashland was still in session.

School leaders say the decision to delay or close is often a guess.  Several factors play a role before making that guess but when you live in Southern Oregon, the weather can change minute by minute.

Icy conditions caused many school cancellations but a few schools decided the roads would improve, and chose to have a delayed start instead.

"There is a lot of second-guessing.  Looking out my window at 8:00 a.m., I was second-guessing myself and when I went back and checked the radar, and that said the storm was going to be by pretty soon, so I let my principals know it's gonna pass, we are gonna be okay its gonna warm up," said Ben Bergreen with the Phoenix-Talent School District.

Bergreen's district was one of the few that held classes, Wednesday.  The district's superintendent and other managers do test drives during the morning to determine how bad the roads are and after everything is discussed the group makes a final call.

Other districts have a similar procedure, but that doesn't mean they all come up with the same answer.

"It looked like very icy roads, hazardous for our school buses, and parents to be on the roads," said Rich Miles with the Medford School District.

The decision to cancel classes made most kids happy, and even some parents were left smiling.

"It's pretty awesome, it's been so fun, it was a lot of fun. We've had snowmen, snowball fights, it been great," said Kristy Bodfield, who took advantage of a day off with her kids.

The snow day gave Kristy and her two daughters, Nichole and Monica a chance to bond.

"You get to play with snowballs, and throw it at my sister," Nichole said.

The idea of missing school can cause some concern, especially if there is a lot of work to catch up on.

"If we have to make up a big test or something we are all used to sleeping in and you don't have to go to school or study, and then you have to take a test that's hard," said Monica.

School district leaders say when it comes to safety; they'd rather make up time at the end of the year and put kids in the path of a snowball instead of danger.  The decision to alter school schedules is usually made my 6:00 a.m.

You can tune in to Newswatch 12 This Morning beginning at 5:30 a.m. for all the latest information on school closures.

BY ASHLEY HALL

January 30, 2008

MEDFORD, Ore. --  With the long string of days with snow and ice, demand is up for snow shovels and ice melt but Hubbard's Ace Hardware says stores across the valley are sold out of both.

The manager says ice melt and snow shovels are in high demand across the country right now, which is why they are not able to order as much as they'd like. Store workers say there are some alternatives.  They suggest using salt to melt the ice on walkways.

New supplies will be delivered on Thursday.  Supplies will be sold on a first come, first serve basis.

January 30th, 2008

By: Derek Kevra

I'd like to introduce you to Mrs. English's fifth grade class from Washington Elementary in Medford!  I visited Mrs. English's class on Tuesday January 29th where we discussed weather as well as the life of a morning meteorologist.  This very smart group of kids amazed me with their intelligent questions.

If you'd like to have me come in to answer weather questions in your class, send me an email at dkevra@kdrv.com.  

BY ANDREA PETTES

January 29, 2008

NEAR GRANTS PASS, Ore. --  Snow was also coming down strong in parts of Josephine County Tuesday, forcing Three Rivers School District to cancel school for the second day in a row.

The weather wasn't severe when administrators made the call but they worried that if the snow continued, buses would have a hard time getting kids home later in the day.

The decision to cancel school isn't an easy one to make. District leaders consult with several sources before making the final call.

"We don't want to cancel school for all the obvious reasons, but we don't our kids to be unsafe from more obvious reasons," said David Marshall with Three Rivers School District.

Meanwhile, students are taking advantage of some days off to enjoy the snow.

Three Rivers Administrators say they'll meet Wednesday morning at 4:00 a.m. to discuss conditions.

BY RON BROWN

January 29, 2008

LAKE OF THE WOODS, Ore.  --  Snow slowed travel on Oregon Route 140 between Medford and Klamath Falls and is forcing some high country resorts to stay closed.

The Lake of the Woods Resort says this time of year has traditionally brought in business, but that's not the case this time around.  The marina is piled high with drifting snow and the resort manager is just trying to keep the road open so supply trucks can get in.  No other cars are allowed through. 

Out on Route 140, state highway snowplows are also trying to keep the roads passable

"It's been hittin' us pretty hard for two days now but we're workin 24-seven. Got five guys on, five guys on during the day and night, and we're keeping' the roads open," said Joe Nork, one of the plow drivers on Route 140.

Nork also says there have been surprisingly few accidents over the pass, which he credits to most drivers taking it slow and easy.  It was mostly truck traffic that crowded the road and since the big rig drivers gather at the bottom of the hill to chain up, they had a safe ride through the weather.

At Lake of the Woods, O-DOT inspectors looked to see that they had the right number of chains installed properly.

"It depends on the situation. We can either warn 'em, cite 'em, or, make 'em legalize. We usually make 'em legalize no matter what," said Phil Grant, an O-DOT chain inspector.

Several months ago, the Lake of the Woods Resort manager announced the resort would be closed for the season.  He says his workers are still seeing a lot of people trying to get to the lake through the resort to go ice fishing but, he says, the road will remain closed and new plans are being developed to expand the operations.

BY COLLEEN BORMANN

January 25, 2008

MEDFORD, Ore. --  Recent temperatures are taking a toll on allergy sufferers.  The cold and moist conditions are causing sinus problems to flare up for people across the valley.

Although plants are starting to bud, specialists say that's not the problem.  Allergy specialists say it's the cold and wet conditions that allergy sufferers should blame.

The Asthma and Allergy Center in Medford says it's not uncommon for symptoms to arise this time of year.  The biggest problem, they say, is mold.  They say while plants are staring to bud, pollen will not be a problem until late February.

"Right now, were dealing with mold mainly because of the moisture, but irritants like smoke can also cause problems. Exposure to inside allergens like dust mites and mold becomes more of a problem as well," said Allergy Specialist Kevin Parks.

Parks says the peak of pollen allergy season is expected to pick up mid-February.  He says Southern Oregon has one of the highest pollen counts in the nation, especially during it's peak time in April.

Doctors say the severity of the season can somewhat be predicted by the weather conditions during the off months.  Dry and hot weather is a good sign for the season to come, but if you add moisture and cold to the mix, you could be seeing a fairly severe season.

BY ASHLEY HALL

January 21, 2008

ASHLAND, Ore. -- Temperatures have dropped below 20 degrees eight times this year in Ashland. Each time, the community emergency response team, or CERT, has opened a shelter to help out anyone who needs it. "There's a lot of folks who live outside in Ashland, and they winter over, and they do just fine," says Lucy Edwards, with CERT. "(But) there are a number of people who take advantage of the shelter, and they may be just passing through town, or they may be local residents."

Sunday night, only two people stayed at CERT's shelter at the Presbyterian Church. But organizers say that's still worth opening their doors. "Often we just have a couple of guests when we open a shelter, and you may think 'Well, is it worth it to open a building for just two people?'" says Edwards. "It gives us the practice so that my volunteers know how to open the Presbyterian church, the Congregational church, and other city buildings. So if there was a city-wide disaster, we know how to do shelter."

Residents who remember the New Year's Day flood of 1997 say they know the benefit of being prepared. "It helps humanity get more realistic," says Boyd Jensen, who lives near Ashland. "Electricty's a great thing, but it can be gone in a second, any second."

"We're also trying to encourage our neighbors to be be prepared," says Edwards. "If during one of these really cold spells, we had an outage for two or three or four days, how are you going to stay warm?" So even though the majority of people don't regularly visit CERT shelters, the organization will be ready when there is a need.

BY KRIS NIELSON

JANUARY 19, 2008

SHADY COVE, Ore. -- The Federal Government is releasing 450 million dollars in relief funds. Nearly two million dollars are coming to Oregon to help low income homeowners fight freezing temperatures.

Some Southern Oregon Fire Departments are also fighting the cold. Fire District four prepares pumps, hoses, and water tanks everyday to prevent freezing and dangerous conditions while fighting fires.

Fire Chief Bob Miller says although the temperatu