Hoarfrost covers mountain ash berries in the Old Mill District in Bend in January 2018. Cascade Natural Gas customers will be paying more this winter.  

Temperatures in Central Oregon this winter have been warmer than usual, but slippery conditions have developed across the region, according to the National Weather Service office in Pendleton.

Those above freezing temperatures have led to more rain than snow, and at night, that rain has created icy roads, trails and sledding hills. It has become a hazardous pattern, said Zaaron Allen, science and operations officer at the NWS in Pendleton.

“You have wet roads and temperatures below freezing at night,” Allen said. “Then, you get that thin layer of black ice that is a particular danger.”

In Bend, city officials are reminding people to keep sidewalks and driveways clear of ice and snow outside their homes and businesses.

All business owners must remove ice and snow from their sidewalks within six hours of daylight after the snow has fallen, and residential properties have 24 hours to remove ice and snow from their driveways and sidewalks after the snow has fallen, according to the code enforcement department.

Karin Morris, the accessibility manager for the city, said it is important that pedestrian areas such as sidewalks remain clear and accessible, particularly the south side of streets, which don’t get as much sunlight and are always icy.

If the snow and slush are not removed from sidewalks, they can refreeze.

“That makes it even more slippery,” Morris said.

Many locals in Bend seem to be taking the right precautions in icy conditions, especially those who stay active through the winter months.

Ali Halpin, an employee at Footzone in Bend, said each winter, the store sees an influx of runners asking for shoes with screws attached for traction. This winter is no different, she said.

“That is our traction device of choice when people come in,” Halpin said.

According to weather service data, the average temperature in Bend in December was 32.9 degrees, which was 1.9 degrees above normal. The average high temperature last month in Bend was 40.9 degrees, and the average low was 24.9 degrees. Both were warmer than normal.

Rain and sleet last month totaled 1.85 inches in Bend, which was one-third of an inch below normal. The greatest depth of snow on the ground was one inch Dec. 26, according to weather service data.

The lack of precipitation can make for icier conditions, Allen said. A heavy rainfall takes longer to freeze, while a light sprinkle will freeze as soon as the temperature drops, he said.

With the sun going down early, temperatures are below freezing more often, he said.

“If you go home at 9 p.m. or 10 p.m., temperatures have been below freezing for a few hours,” Allen said.

The warmer and drier winter is expected to continue through January, according to the weather service forecast.

“There is a pretty strong signal we will keep this pattern of above normal temperatures and at or below normal precipitation,” Allen said.

— Reporter: 541-617-7820, kspurr@bendbulletin.com