A snowy start in the Portland area. Live Doppler 8000 shows us whether the snow will stick around.
Meantime, things are heating up in Washington. One senator is calling for an end to the impeachment trial.
From KGW, where the news comes first. This is Northwest News, Channel 8 at 11.
Snow lightly blankets the hills of Portland and Vancouver tonight, but will it be a white weekend?
Find out how much has fallen and how much more is on the way.
This is our top story tonight. Hello, I'm Carol Jensen.
And I'm Joe Donlin. Thanks for joining us tonight.
A storm swept through the Willamette Valley tonight, dusting parts of the metro area with snow.
And we have live team coverage tonight with Joe Satili of our First Alert Storm Team.
Christine Miles is live in Southeast Portland and we begin with John Becker live in the West Hills. John?
That's right, Joe. We're just about at the summit of the West Hills at Barnes and the intersection of Skyline Boulevard.
The snow did stick to the roads up here. The flakes lasted all of an hour, maybe two.
But as we zoom into the snow on the trees there, it came as a cool surprise to more than a couple of people.
It's good. Very nice.
The snow obviously caught these two guys ill prepared. They're moving quickly, making delivery rounds in shorts.
Surprising? Yeah, surprise the snow.
Just a couple steps away, here's another guy bearing his knees.
I just came down here to pick up something to drink and next thing I know it's winter, winter land out here.
Along the sunset near the Sylvan exit, flakes pelt drivers but don't stick to the ground.
This gas station attendant says the snow's a welcome change.
I'd rather work in this than the ring.
A trip through the West Hills shows a light dusting on the trees, road and signs.
Still a little like Christmas at this house along Skyline.
Other spots around Portland were wet but not white.
Still our buddy in shorts says this snow on the hills just sealed his plans for the weekend.
We're going to be heading up to the mountain tomorrow though because if it's dumping here it'll be dumping there.
And you can see as we come back out live now that snow is really turning to slush.
Not much left here in the West Hills.
I did speak with ODOT and they say they've got the plows and the sanders ready to go.
If we do get any more snow the roads become a problem. Back to you guys.
We'll ask Joe Satili about that in just a minute. Thanks, John.
Snow has also been falling in southeast Portland tonight. News Channel 8's Night Team reporter Christine Miles has the very latest on the situation there now.
Christine?
Well, Carol, we're just south of Burnside where an hour ago these cars were filled with snow.
But there's just barely enough to make a snowball.
But take a look at what was going on out here about a couple of hours ago.
Now we were at 82nd and Powell where the snow was coming down.
The rain actually was turning to snow. But it wasn't dangerous enough where it made road conditions bad at all.
People got out their umbrellas because they decided to protect themselves from the snow instead of the rain tonight.
But again, people were traveling home and it was really just a wet, sticky mess out here.
And again, the snow out here, again, we're just south of Burnside where actually it's raining right now and it's still pretty chilly out here.
There is a cold and again I think of enough kids can get out here tonight at this time.
Carol, I think they would have fun making some snowballs. But no problems out here. Just a lot of rain. Back to you.
If they're going to get there, they'd better hurry. Thank you, Christine.
Getting late. Are we in for a white weekend?
First Alerts Joe Satile joins us now with the weather outlook and the debut of a brand new weather tool. Joe?
Well guys, you know because of the importance of tonight's weather forecast, we rolled out live Doppler 8 radar for you.
You can see the sweep and as you follow this around you'll actually see the data get updated.
The heaviest showers now according to Doppler 8000, a live radar, most of the heavy stuff is now to the east with a pretty hefty shower
just to the northeast of Salem. There's a back edge to all of this stuff but a radar is picking up some showers still off the coastline
that will be moving on in and if you get underneath one of these showers you may see some snow.
And here's the reason why you'll see some snow as the sweep continues.
As the rain falls out of the clouds and the freezing level this afternoon was at 1700 feet,
the snow level at 500 feet because the rain will drag down some of the cold air.
Along with that cold air might come some snow so if you're underneath one of these showers you might see a bit of snow
but no major accumulations. We'll have the complete forecast for you coming up in just a bit. Carol?
Thank you Joe. With damage totaling 22 million dollars the Kelso landslide is now the most costly in American history.
Of 130 homes in the Aldercrest development, only about a third are still livable. Tonight more evacuations.
From Sky 8 you can see the destruction. A ditch has opened up in this neighborhood that runs about 15 city blocks long.
At its deepest point we are told it could swallow a 13 story building.
George Sefield lives at the very top of this hill. He's now moving out leaving the home that he'd hoped to retire in.
He paid cash for this house. His budget does not include a mortgage.
Now I've got to be encumbered with that all over again and I'll just walk the streets of Vegas and pick up extra money.
I'm sorry. I've got to laugh or I'll cry.
Nobody told me that this area was bad.
The city of Kelso is giving some of the residents until July to decide whether or not they'll stay there
but the city does not guarantee any services after that.
Crews will work throughout the weekend to try and fix the Burnside slide.
For the past couple of days they've been putting tons of rocks into wire cages.
Those will act like a retaining wall to keep any more falling rocks from hitting cars.
While at work crews will be keeping a watchful eye on a set of unstable rocks at the top of the ledge too.
City officials say they hope all the rain and this weekend's predicted freezing temperatures might loosen that rock before they open up the road.
But it's likely West Burnside will remain closed until next week.
There's a move underway to end the Senate impeachment trial led by an influential Democrat.
But as News Channel 8's Night Team reporter Christine Miles tells us, a Senator from Oregon is pushing to keep the trial moving forward.
Democrat Robert Byrd considered a Dean of the Senate and no friend of the President says he will push for a move next week to dismiss the case against the President.
A growing number of Senators see no need for witnesses and predict a quick end to the trial.
And there is a great deal of support in favor of dismissal and in opposition to witnesses and certainly in favor of bringing this matter to a close.
Oregon Senator Gordon Smith says he will not vote for a dismissal.
Both sides have done an excellent job and the White House counsel's purpose is to create reasonable doubt.
And they made a very good case for the President.
The debate over what to do next spills onto the floor of the Senate where Senators question both sides.
Prosecutors warn against a quick verdict.
Oh do I know what an annoyance we are in the bosom of this great body.
But we're a constitutional annoyance and I remind you of that fact.
Senator Smith says there's a need to hear the witnesses and continue with the proceedings to get to the truth.
Yes, but the case isn't over. I have reached no conclusion.
But I do think that contrary to when I went in I thought that the case was stronger on perjury and not on obstruction at this point.
I am talking out loud to you now.
It seems to me that the stronger case is on obstruction and not perjury.
The question and answer session will continue tomorrow and we could have a vote on the idea of dismissing this trial on Monday as early as Monday perhaps and we'll keep you posted.
Will Mayor Katz run again?
It would be hard to say no to another term when so much good work is done.
Next on News Channel 8, see why the Mayor isn't saying no but she isn't quite saying yes either.
Plus four people are dead after a natural gas explosion leveled three buildings.
And killer tornadoes sweep through the south. We'll show you the damage straight ahead.
Now with Carol Jensen and Joe Dunlin, this is KGW, Northwest News Channel 8.
A natural gas line explosion tops our look at news from beyond the Northwest tonight.
It happened at a hardware store in Bridgeport, Alabama. Four people were killed and at least eight others were injured.
The explosion leveled three buildings and it caused major damage to a number of other structures nearby.
Investigators believe a utility crew triggered the blast while digging in the area.
Arkansas is recovering tonight after deadly tornadoes swept through part of the state last night.
Seven people were killed. Also, a new junior high school was all but destroyed as the twister cut a two-block wide path through the town of Beebe.
Houses, churches, and businesses were flattened as the destruction grew to five blocks.
Several homes were completely ripped from their foundations.
19 counties have been declared disaster areas.
Fishing groups at the mouth of the Columbia River say their livelihoods are being buried under plans to dredge the river.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers wants to deepen the Columbia to allow new super freighters to make it upriver to ports like Portland.
Groups meeting in Astoria today said dredging the river will bury crab and fish nesting grounds under tons of silt and sand.
For a number of years we've been telling the Corps that anytime they dispose in the ocean that it sterilizes the crab grounds for commercial production.
We are going to be seeing a lot of negative environmental impacts. There's absolutely no positive economic impacts in this region.
The Army Corps of Engineers was unavailable for comment on today's meeting, but the Corps has said its studies show the dredging will not harm the environment
and will keep Portland and other Columbia River ports at the top of the list for shipping commerce.
Portland Mayor Vera Katz today came as close as you can get to announcing that she will run for a third term next year.
Vera Katz made her comments during her annual State of the City address.
It would be hard to say no to another term when so much good work is underway and so much potential is yet to be realized.
She outlined an ambitious agenda for the coming year. She will offer a million dollars to Portland schools for summer programs.
She'll pursue a transportation agenda that includes a shortened north-south light rail route,
and she will look into ways to fund an expansion for the Oregon Convention Center.
It was an historic landmark dating back an entire century, but tonight it is a pile of rubble.
We'll have that story next on News Channel 8.
The South has tornadoes, but in the Midwest the problem is flooding.
And in the long run, no major problems here in the Northwest.
We'll explain the weekend forecast to you here in just a minute. Stay with us.
This 200-year-old bridge came crashing down this morning at the town of Woonsocket, Rhode Island.
It's an historic landmark, but it just wasn't safe anymore, so it had to come down.
Now that it's gone, construction is set to begin on a new one.
What an explosion. Weather-wise tonight, lots to talk about.
Oh, indeed. It's a wild night out there tonight, and even wilder, though, when you go to the Midwest.
Take a look at these pictures from central Indiana. A January flood is not fun in that part of the world
simply because the water comes up, in many cases, due to ice jams.
I don't know exactly what caused this flood. It might have been an ice jam flood.
But the worst problem with these floods is after it usually floods, it gets terribly cold,
and all this stuff freezes, and it's a bigger mess.
You might have seen some little ice floating around in some of that water there.
Just a terrible scene there in central Indiana tonight. The Coke truck's getting through, though.
There's the scene from the Northwest Skycam at OMSI Tower, and on the hour we have 36 degrees.
It's actually 38 degrees here in downtown Portland.
The temperature's actually gone up a couple of degrees in the past couple of hours.
Humidity, 96%. The wind is east at 8 miles per hour.
The barometer, 2978, rising freezing level, 1,700 feet this afternoon up over Salem.
Okay, again, because it's a big weather night, we've rolled out Doppler 8,000.
And there's the site right there on Livingston Mountain up in southern Washington state.
We're sweeping past Sandy right now.
And if you watch very closely along with the sweep, you'll actually see the data change
because this is sweeping live and in color for your weather pleasure.
And we're starting to see a back edge to the showers,
but then again there are some more showers to the west of town.
And if you get underneath some of these showers, you might see some snowfall.
Pretty interesting. We'll put it away until Monday now.
Okay, let's take a look at the satellite loop.
You see the cold air pushing off of the continent out to sea,
and that's obviously boiling up into some showers.
And as that rotates on in, we're going to see showers.
And as you get underneath these showers, you might see some snowflakes.
The jet stream's helping out, pull that cold air out over the Pacific,
and then push it right at us.
And as long as this setup takes place, we'll have this kind of activity.
The rain will fall, and as the rain falls, some snow may be pulled down as well,
down to 500 feet.
Let's take a look outside right now with Christine Miles.
Christine?
Well, Joe, I'm just south of Burnside here on 82nd Avenue,
where earlier these cars were covered in snow,
but I could barely find enough snow now to make a snowball.
So in the last couple of hours, I guess the temperatures have risen enough
to where the snow that was falling earlier is now just rain.
And so it's still cold, but it's just miserable and cold out here.
And there isn't much snow left out on this side of town.
Back to you.
Thanks, Christine.
Why don't you throw that snowball?
I don't want you getting in trouble.
I'll bring you back for it.
All right.
Showers on the way for the coastline tomorrow with the snow level of 1,000 feet.
So actually tomorrow it should go up about 2 to 4 inches of snow
in the coast range tonight.
Now, there is a small craft advisory up for the rest of tonight.
In the valleys, look for showers tomorrow,
and the snow level could drop to 1,000 feet tomorrow with light winds
at the higher elevations around the Willamette Valley.
In the gorge, look for showers tomorrow again,
the snow level pushing back up to 1,000 feet with light winds.
High temperature readings, not terribly cold.
42 seems to be a favored temperature tomorrow,
with Eugene down to 41 and Newport up to 43.
Up at the Cascade Mountains for tomorrow,
this is the way it shapes up,
there is a snow advisory though for tonight for 5 to 7 inches of new snow tonight,
and then snow showers tomorrow, great skiing.
Snow level moving up a bit tomorrow to 1,000 feet,
government camp to 30 degrees, mostly cloudy with rain and snow east side tomorrow.
Highs 35 for Bend, 34 degrees at Baker City, La Grande to 38,
and the Dalles to 40 degrees.
And here in the Portland, Vancouver metropolitan area for the rest of tonight,
look for showers, and we're going to keep the snow level down to around 500 feet
for the rest of tonight.
The snow level moves up in the showers to 1,000 feet for tomorrow,
so if the temperature is not terribly cold, lower 40s ought to do it.
Then we dry out for Sunday, mostly cloudy skies, 45.
Monday, partly cloudy, should be a nice day, 43 degrees.
The rain's back on Tuesday, but the end of that event might be the same as this.
Snow level drops down to around 1,000 feet,
and maybe some showers with some snow mixed in on Wednesday next week as well.
So, winter's hanging on.
Yeah, it was nice while it lasted.
It was, yeah, it was fun.
Pretty? Thanks, Joe.
You bet.
And now, on to sports next.
MUSIC
Now, with Colin Cowell.
This is KGW, Northwest News Channel 8 sports.
Blazers did a little wheeling and dealing today.
It's been a busy week for Bob Witzit.
He probably needs a week off after this week.
It's been a very hectic week of free agent signings.
The Blazers stayed away from some of the big names,
but nonetheless have made some variations to their roster in the last day,
and Joe Becker has more about it.
It was day two of training camp, and the Blazers added two new players,
including backup point guard Greg Anthony.
Anthony has seven years in the NBA, including last season with the Sonics.
Anthony with the baseline drive.
Once I saw the players that they had and the coaching staff,
I'm familiar with a lot of the guys here,
and the fact that they have a great opportunity to be successful,
you know, it made it somewhat of an easy choice for me.
Anthony is known as a gritty defender,
but last year he shot 41% behind the three-point line.
We were looking for a point guard, a third guy to come in and help us,
and, you know, it brings a lot of competition to our positions, which is good.
This is actually Anthony's second trip to Portland.
Back in 1987, he played one year for the pilots at UP.
Yeah, I didn't think anybody remembered. I did.
My freshman year I started off here at the University of Portland.
I played for Coach Jacovinna, and it was quite an experience.
The city was warm to me then, and, you know, hopefully it will be the same this time around.
The other newcomer is a 6'5 guard out of Ball State named Bonzi Wells.
The Blazers acquired his rights from Detroit for a future pick.
I think the key for us is to make sure we have a group of guys
that are committed to working hard like these guys are,
as it comes together to come together.
But a lot of things we're doing right now are not just for this season, they're also for next year.
On Sunday, the Blazers have a free barbecue and scrimmage starting at 3 o'clock at the Rose Garden.
In to Alton, Joe Becker, NW News Channel 8.
Thanks, Joe. Also tonight, former Blazer Gary Trent signed with the Dallas Mavericks
and the Sonic signed Billy Owens.
Dennis Rodman may not play this season, but he didn't retire from TV appearances.
Jay Leno zinged him good tonight. Listen.
Look at this. You just come from Pirates of the Caribbean.
High school hoops tonight. Minor upset. Girls from Clackamas beat Oregon City 60-55.
And the Portland Pilot Men lost to Santa Clara 69-67.
Ever get the feeling we're going to see plenty of MJ now that he's retired?
Bob Hope, Desert Classic, comforting to know a 3-foot putt.
No easier for him than everybody else.
By the way, Fred Funk leads this tournament heading into the weekend.
Carol, listen up. Australian open highlights.
Martina Hengis roared to an easy win.
And the 17-year-old Russian sensation Anna Kornikova top of the screen
facing Germany's Andrea Glass.
Kornikova's serve's been a mess lately. 31 double faults two days ago.
31, and she still won.
Today only 14, which is still a big number, but her serve tamed as she played.
And she advances to the fourth round with a three-set win.
She will play Mary Pierce next in what should be very intense.
You've never had 31 double faults, Carol?
No. Of course I've never played in the Australian open.
Perhaps that's why.
Right back with the latest on our snowfall tonight in the Portland area.
It's almost Saturday, isn't it? We'll be right back.
Tonight we've already shown you live Doppler 8000.
We're the first television station in Oregon to build our own Doppler radar system.
It allows us to bring you instant and extremely accurate coverage of any storm.
But it's also much more than that.
Stay tuned for the full story on live Doppler 8000 Monday night at 7 o'clock
in a special program called the Weather Revolution.
You will see how News Channel 8's live Doppler 8000
will transform the way we cover northwest storms.
Again, that's Monday night at 7 o'clock.
And before we leave you tonight, we want to get one more check of the weather.
John Becker is live in the West Hills, John.
Joe, really not a whole lot going on.
Believe it or not, we saw a guy here about 7.30 tonight putting chains on his car.
I think he's pretty sorry he did that. Back to you guys.
Practicing for this weekend. Maybe he's heading up to the mountain.
I guess so. I guess so.
Yeah. Okay, John, thanks.
Maybe because really he probably doesn't need him. Do you think, Joe?
No, I don't think you need him around this neck of the woods.
If you're going up into the mountains, they're going to get some snow overnight tonight, to say the least.
And again, Doppler 8 radar, we had to use it tonight.
We had a big weather night. And there it is once again.
And again, if you follow the sweep around, you'll actually see the data change.
That means that we're actually looking right now at the weather as it is right now.
And it's going to sweep right up over Multnomah Falls in the Gorge as we speak.
And it's changing the data. And speaking of data, let's tell you what it tells us.
We're going to go to less numerous showers for the rest of tonight.
Snow level tomorrow in some showers at 1,000 feet. Sunday a dry day, 45 degrees.
Then Monday a nice day, partly cloudy skies, 43. Rains back on Tuesday.
And at the end of that storm, you might see the snow levels drop once again to around 1,500 feet around the area, 44 degrees.
Then Wednesday, kind of like tonight, showers and underneath any of those showers,
you might see some snow down to around 1,500 feet and a temperature reading of 42 degrees.
So not terribly cold for the beginning of next week, but nevertheless somewhat exciting like tonight.
We'll keep an eye on it.
Indeed.
Thanks, Joe.
Our next newscast is tomorrow morning at 8 o'clock. Thanks for joining us and have a great weekend.
We'll see you Monday.
Thanks for watching the area's most complete local news.
Northwest News, Channel 8 at 11, where the news comes first.