At least 100 cars were involved in a series of crashes Thursday amid whiteout conditions on Interstate 84 in Multnomah County, Oregon.
The pileup, which included at least one vehicle that caught fire, came as the latest round of dangerous winter weather moved across parts of the West.
I-84 westbound near Multnomah Falls was expected to be closed for several hours. Several other crashes were reported in the area.
The Multnomah County Sheriff's Office said there were reports of people stuck inside their vehicles in the pileup.
A social media post from the agency said: "Responders are going car by car. There are reports of injuries; no number at this time. Whiteout conditions."
Here's where the incident happened.
A sport utility vehicle caught on fire, but the sheriff's office said everyone inside was able to escape.
Wind gusts up to 66 mph were reported in the region, with gusts in excess of 40 mph closer to the area where the crash happened.
“Cold air has been locked in the Pacific Northwest for several days, including the Columbia Gorge east of Portland and the Willamette Valley,” weather.com senior meteorologist Jonathan Erdman said.
“In this case, low pressure offshore and cold high pressure in the interior Northwest produced strong easterly winds channeled through the Columbia Gorge. This, combined with falling snow from Winter Storm Jett, lead to the treacherous driving conditions along this stretch of Interstate 84.”
Winter Storm Jett is the latest in a parade of winter storms to pummel parts of the U.S.
5 Sneaky Snow And Ice Hazards To Watch Out For In Winter
Weather.com staff writer Jan Childs covers breaking news and features related to weather, space, climate change, the environment and everything in between.
