Early snowfall dusts Sisters

A mild Indian summer ended abruptly on Thursday morning, October 30, as Sisters area residents woke up to snow on the ground and ice on the roads.

The icy conditions snarled traffic on the Santiam Pass and made for slow going for commuters between Bend and Sisters.

Local tire service centers were packed with people having their winter tires installed.

Temperatures turned frigid, making for a cold night of trick-or-treating on Halloween, October 31, with temperatures in the single digits.

The abrupt change is fairly typical, according to state climatologist George Taylor.

"In Oregon, October is the biggest transition month of the year, with the month usually beginning mild and dry and ending cool and wet," Taylor stated in his 2003-2004 forecast.

According to Taylor, Central Oregon can expect "generally average or somewhat above precipitation totals" during October through December. Temperatures are expected to be warmer than average.

In the second half of winter, Taylor predicts average precipitation along with "generally near average" temperatures.

For more Oregon winter forecast information visit www.ocs.orst.edu/reports/wint03/wint03.html.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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