🌱 Snow Causes Traffic Chaos + Wildfires Create Toxic Air

Hey, Portland, how about that snow, huh? I hope you got to enjoy the beauty of a winter wonderland and avoided the troubles that came with it. Stay warm people and if you see someone who needs some help, be a good neighbor and lend them a hand. Let me tell you about today.

First, today's weather:

There will be on and off snow showers throughout the day and it's going to be cold. Like a high of 34 and a low of 25 cold. Take it easy on those roads if you need to drive.

Here are the top five stories today in Portland:

1. While it was kind of nice to have a White Christmas, the snow and ice we got over the weekend turned Monday morning into a bit of a mess. There have been multiple car accidents around the state, roads have been closed and thousands of people lost power over the weekend. And this weather isn't over yet, as forecasts predict some of the coldest weather will come tonight. Stay safe out there people. (KPTV)
2. Just when we were hoping to get a handle on the pandemic, the omicron variant changes the game and now COVID-19 cases are on the rise again. A recent survey from the Institute for Policy Research and Engagement shows the emergence of the delta variant led to a sharp increase in vaccinations this fall, though the divide between vaccination rates in urban and rural areas continues to be the biggest challenge in protecting all Oregonians from COVID-19. (KGW)
3. The icy weather has been hitting homeless individuals the hardest and Multnomah County warming shelters are filling up fast. Multnomah County warming shelters were 73% full on the night of Dec. 25, officials say, as Portland entered a cold snap that is expected to last much of the week. Anticipating more need as temperatures remain below freezing, county officials are opening a sixth shelter tonight at 120 SE Market St.— the first in Portland’s inner eastside. A seventh shelter will open at the Oregon Convention Center on Monday, Dec. 27. (Willamette Week)
4. Really, dude? On Christmas Eve? A man who called into the North American Air Defense (NORAD) Command’s annual Santa tracking center and told President Biden “Let’s go Brandon” said he meant it in “jest.” After a brief chat with the president where they talked about what his children wanted for Christmas, Jared Schmeck, 35, a former police officer who works for an electric company, used a slogan that has become popular among supporters of former President Trump as a veiled insult toward Biden. (KOIN)
5. Over the past decade, there’s been a noticeable uptick in wildfires in the Pacific Northwest. With those fires come smoke and air quality issues for surrounding communities. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality monitors particulate at more than 20 air quality stations scattered all over the state. Nine of those sites are also monitoring for a host of chemical compounds known to be dangerous to human health. Several of these chemicals were detected at elevated levels during the wildfires of 2020. (OPB)

Today's Portland Daily is brought to you in part by our friends at Ring, the home security company. Ring does a lot more than doorbells: check out their full suite of smart home products at Ring.com. And thank you Ring for helping to make local news happen in Portland!

Today in Portland:

• Local punk/indie rockers The Banana Creatures will be playing at The Hawthorne Hideaway in SE Portland. Joining them on the WTF Stage will be special guests SubPar and Left on Tenth. Get your dose of rock before the year ends. Showtime is 9:00 PM.
• It's that time of year again. Yes, the season for rom-coms and the 4th Wall PDX is bringing you the romance with their Rom Com Movie Trivia Night. If you or anyone you know still sings along with Heath Ledger or dreamt about Freddie Prinze Jr., this is the trivia night for you! It's FREE to play! The winning team will receive a 4th Wall PDX Gift Card and your choice of Rom Com to play on the big screen. The fun starts at 6:00 PM.
• Country rock legend Jerry Joseph and the Jackmormons will be playing at Dante's in downtown Portland. The opening band will be Day Star. Tickets are available online. Doors open at 8:00 PM.
• Would you like a little jazz with that pizza? Then head to the 1905 in North Portland to see the Dan Balmer Trio. From coffee house gigs at fifteen to chart-topping success with the Tom Grant Band in the 90s, world tours with two-time Grammy Award winner Diane Schuur and contemporary jam-bands, Dan Balmer brings fire and heart every time he plays the guitar. Get you tickets online. 6:00 - 7:15 PM.
• For a laid back evening of music, check out the Goodfoot in SE Portland featuring Outer Orbit. Outer Orbit is a funk soul collective led by Galen Clark (Trio Subtonic) and Sarah Clarke, featuring an all-star line up including Tyrone Hendrix (Prince), Damian Erskine (Skerik Band), Peter Knudsen (Ghost-note) and Mike Elson (Swatkins) and a rotating cast of special guests. Doors open at 8:00 PM.

From my notebook:

• Portland, Oregon: "Who else woke up with snow on the ground? Even though most of the snow has melted downtown, it sure made for a pretty scene this morning. 🌨 Please stay safe and warm as temperatures are dropping out there. That wind is no joke 🥶. If y..." (Instagram)
• Portland Trail Blazers: "Happy Kwanzaa, Rip City! May the candles of Kwanzaa light the past, present & future ahead ❤️" (Instagram)
• Travel Portland: "If you're lucky, you'll enjoy a beautiful dusting at the @PortlandJapaneseGarden if you visit soon! #ThisIsPortland 📷: @andiface #PDX #PDXNOW #TravelPortland #TravelOregon #PortlandOregon #HereForPortland #PortlandJapaneseGarden" (Instagram)
• Portland Art Museum: "As many of us gather this weekend with our households, extended family and friends, or even just our furry companions, we will center time together, and may even take a moment to sing, play games, watch a movie, or go for a walk in the s..." (Instagram)
• If you can't get enough of Portland going on and on about the snow, or if you're out of town and want to see what the fuss is about, here's a video that KPTV put out yesterday. (YouTube)
• YouTuber John Gustin put together a gorgeous little video of Portland at night. Talk about making the city look good! (YouTube)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• Ring In the New Year With 15 Percent Off Beautiful Blooms From FTD! (December 31)
• Add your event

Loving the Portland Daily? Here are all the ways you can get more involved:

• Send a friend or neighbor this link so they can subscribe
• Get your local business listed in front of readers
• Send me a news tip or suggestion at portland@patch.com

That's your Tuesday, my friends. I hope your holidays were fun and your troubles few. We've got the New Year coming up soon, but we're still not done with 2021 yet, so meet me back here tomorrow and I'll fill you in on what's going on in Portland.

— Dominic Anaya

About me: Doctor, educator and now a writer/artist, I'm just chillin' in Portland, OR with my wife, our ferrets, our chickens and our goats.