Be alert for weather conditions

The season of wild weather has announced itself in Sisters Country.

A windstorm that featured gusts upwards of 60 miles per hour roared through town on Tuesday, November 17, felling trees and leaving a mess of debris.

A tree fell across Highway 20 near Black Butte Ranch, and was hit by a semi-truck. No one was hurt, but nighttime traffic on the highway backed up while Oregon Department of Transportation crews cleared the tree.

It was a near miss for Sisters educator and Nugget freelancer Charlie Kanzig, who was on the road when the tree went down.

"That was a scary deal," he told The Nugget. "If that truck had not hit the tree first as I approached I am not sure I would have stopped in time."

Part of a tree fell on the bed of a pickup truck parked in front of Sisters Movie House, and a tree or part of one reportedly fell on a residential trailer in Sisters. In all cases, there were no injuries.

A soaking rain moved in overnight on Wednesday; by Thursday morning, Sisters Ranger District reported recording nearly a half-inch of rainfall.

Rain and snow were forecasted this week, with the Thanksgiving holiday expected to dawn clear - and cold.

Cold temperatures and precipitation can cause problems for drivers, particularly in the early morning and late evening hours, when moisture on roadways freezes. Drivers should check their speed at these times and be especially alert in areas where roads are shaded for much of the day.

Sketchy conditions common to the season are likely to prevail on Santiam Pass in coming weeks, so holiday travelers should be alert and prepared.

The Oregon Department of Transportation advises travelers to use http://www.tripcheck.com to check on road conditions before traveling. ODOT also recommends the following winter driving tips:

• Plan ahead, give yourself plenty of time.

• Adjust your driving for the conditions if there is ice or snow on the road.

• Be ready to handle potentially dangerous situations.

• Look for signs indicating when chains or traction tires are required, and chain-up early when you are required to do so.

• If you lose traction, slow down gradually - don't slam on your brakes.

• Use extra caution when driving on bridges or concrete highways; ice forms first on these surfaces.

• Give snow-plows and road-maintenance equipment extra room and don't pass snow-plows on the right (plow drivers will pull over to let you pass, so be patient).

• Don't use cruise control in wet, icy, or snowy weather.