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Polar Express
And it turns out Father Christmas was driving it…
Taken on December 14, 2008 (aka Portland Snow Day 2008)
Photo By Guanatos Gwyn

The Portland Snow Day 2008 was a good one for PDX photographers. Many, undaunted by the flury of frozen precipitation, donned their Portland Boots and got out there. You still have time to get many pics until Portland Snow Day 2009 occurs.

Below are several shots around the city, some snow-picture thoughts, reports from the Portland Twitter Storm Team, Trimet updates and a message from our Mayor on how to survive the Portland Snowpocalypse.

Update: WordPress helped us make it snow on the page here. How sweet is that? Very Sweet….

Guanatos Gwyn (photo website here) sent this message over about taking pictures during Portland Snow Day 2008:

Get the white balance right in the first place or use something like Picasa to post process them. Digital cameras want to make snow look grey unless you tell them you’re taking pictures of almost all-white scenes.

This shot was a happy accident. I was walking along the railway track and saw a light in the distance coming out of the blizzard, gradually it became obvious it was the train I saw stationed there t’other day and it was belching out steam and making a fair old racket. As it went past, Santa leaned out and all in all it was a pretty special moment.

(also), Portland in the snow rocks! Sellwood’s a friendly enough area year round, but when everyone’s out together in the elements there’s a great feeling of camaraderie and 99% of people I met today said hi or smiled.

(Update 12/15 8:30 — Dave Knows Portland has a story about Portland Trains/Locomotives here)

If you are needing moment by moment updates of Portland Snow Day 2008, perhaps you should follow the growing PDX Twitter Storm Team. Here are some of today’s tweets:

• TheSquare: PGE says power out for 1500 customers on the west side of the St. Johns Bridge. No ETA for a fix. #pdxtst
• kenbrady: Snowball fight outside. Big one just hit coffee shop window and rattled it. I resisted the urge to go out and escalate the violence. #pdxtst
• radiogretchen: http://twitpic.com/syxq – This might be my favorite photo that I took today. #pdxtst
• feedia: about 5″ in Sherwood and still snowing #pdxtst
• aidywi: It’s gettin’ a little icy out here in Hillsboro. #pdxtst
• brampitoyo: #pdxtst Condition seems to be warmer the closer the MAX line gets to Downtown. The road is free from snow in the Lloyd district area.
• mariadeathstar: It’s turned into freakin Siberia out there! This will last a week? Holy windchill! #pdxtst
• fluttrbaby: getting very dark n cold out here (vancouver, in sifton/ burnt bridge creek area), windy too. Snow was dusting at best.#pdxtst
• jonathanchard: Powells Beaverton not opening till 11 Tomorow #pdxtst
• KGWNewsChannel8: Portland Public schools closed Monday –Complete List Of CLOSURES http://www.kgw.com/weather/schoolclosures.html #pdxtst.

Ok, you get the point…join the fun on twitter and be a friend of the Pipeline to get this kind of info.

Will there be more Trimet problems? A message from our transportation friends:

All buses are chained; about a dozen are on snow routes. Expect delays up to 30 minutes. MAX is running regular schedule except Red Line to the airport; buses are shuttling riders. LIFT service will not pick riders up at home but will provide service if a ride home is needed. Check service alerts for more updates

snow day
SE Hawthorne St, Portland, Oregon
Taken on December 14, 2008
Photo By juleezworld

From Julee:

I just wanted to get out into the snow and I grabbed my camera in case I saw any photo opportunities. I hope we get more snow tomorrow, it would be great to get a day off of work!

KGW has a video message from our Mayor Sam Adams (isn’t Tom still the mayor until January?) Here is what I got out of it:

• “it is going to be incredibly treacherous“
• TripCheck.com: up-to-date road closures
• 3 new warming centers are running: SE 81st (sorry, missed where exactly), SE 13th and Ankeny, Old Town- Old Estates Hotel
• They will be reconvening 6:30 AM

snowstorm
Alberta St, Portland, Oregon
Taken on December 14, 2008
Photo By remis velisque

This is possibly the luckiest kid in Portland today.

Portland Sleigh Ride!
Unknown location in Portland, Oregon
Taken on December 14, 2008
Photo By gregraisman

OK, these kids have it pretty good as well.

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!
Hosford Middle School
Portland, Oregon
Taken on December 14, 2008
Photo By i5prof

From i5prof:

About shooting in the snow: I decided to leave my house and get out in it around 2:00. I was feeling tentative about the wind and the snowfall as it did not seem to be perfect conditions for a camera. It was also dark out. I made my way to Hosford Middle School to meet my husband (Gumanow) and his son, as they had been sledding for about an hour at this point. When I arrived the school yard was full of kids and their families. The yard has a natural hill and the families in the area are equipped with all the right snow gear.

I played with ISO and panning and am not sure I am altogether happy with the days results. I still smile when I look at the pics, however.

Fremont Street
NE Fremont, Portland, Oregon
Taken on December 14, 2008
Photo By davidburn

From @davidburn’s tweet:

http://www.flickr.com/group… – just joined new group on Flick – “Portland Snow Day 2008”

first snow
Sellwood Bridge, Portland, Oregon
Taken on December 14, 2008
Photo By jahat

The PDX Pipeline escaped the Snowpocalypse in the warm confines of the local sheter/tavern.

Portland Snow Shelter
Bonfire Lounge
SE Stark St, Portland, Oregon
Taken on December 14, 2008
Photo By PDX Pipeline

I hoped that I might have been joined by one of the lovely “Mercury Girls”…but the snow highway made it a really, really far trek from Buckman.

What kind of Snow Magic is this?

Portland snow clone
Taken on December 14, 2008
Photo By jaquiza

From jaquiza: It was so frickin’ cold and windy I couldn’t get the camera focused, I took these then ran home!

Garden Reflections
The Japanese Gardens were draped in a soft blanket of snow.
Japanese Gardens, Portland, Oregon
Taken on December 14, 2008
Photo By pdxpixs

Portland Snow: Bagdad Theatre
SE Hawthorne St. Portland, Oregon
Taken on December 14, 2008
Photo By Robby Russell

There are many more pictures of Portland Snow at the PDX Pipeline flickr group and there is also an “official” snow group now as well…

Update: Scott Fish has some NW 23rd (“trendy-third”) snow pics here

Related Posts:

• Portland Snow Day Pictures: Grab Your Cameras | Daily Stank Image Bank
• Portland Snow Day Part 2: Revenge of Snowpocalypse!! | Daily Stank Image Bank
• Portland Snow Day Part 3: Bad Things Come in 3s | Snowpocalypse Update!
• Portland Snow Boots | Daily Stank Image Bank
• Portland Snow Day Part 4: Snowmageddon, Son of Snowpocalypse

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*More “Daily Stank Image Bank” photos here
*If you would like your picture to appear in the “Daily Stank Image Bank“, add it to the Pdx Pipeline Flickr Group.
*More Portland Twitter action here.