As the thaw begins, be careful in the mountains
By Terry Murry on Wednesday, March 20th, 2024 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
PENDLETON – Spring can be treacherous for those venturing into the mountains. The Umatilla National Forest is warning people that many of the forest service roads remain closed until April 1 to protect both wildlife and road surfaces. Planning ahead is crucial for those venturing onto the forest, as is using caution on unmaintained roads.
It’s also a time when people may have no trouble getting up roads capped with frozen snow in the morning who experience different conditions when trying to go home.
“As the heat warms the snow up during the day, it gets softer and softer,” Umatilla County Search and Rescue Sergeant Dwight Johnson said. “The worst thing you can get stuck in, in my experience, is spring snow.”
Johnson said his search and rescue unit has already had to respond three times to people stuck in the snow who weren’t equipped to spend the night in cold weather.
