Oregon 511 Road Conditions & Chain Law

No full closures are reported in Oregon as of Sep 15, 2026 2:48 AM UTC, and no lane closures or roadworks either. Always check with the responsible state DOT before setting off.

Interstates Through Oregon, Road by Road

Each stretch has its own live conditions, closures and cameras for the Oregon miles only — the weather 500 miles away on the same interstate says nothing about this drive.

• I-5 Oregon Road Conditions 308 mi
• I-84 Oregon Road Conditions 376 mi

NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, from 4 weather stations in Oregon. A dash is a figure that station does not report, not a zero.

Snowfall across Oregon is not one number: Medford averages 4.1" a year and Bend averages 22.5".

Every figure above is a town or a city. The summits are a different climate: Cabbage Hill (Deadman Pass, I-84), Santiam Pass, Siskiyou Summit have its own page with the readings at the top and a six-day summit forecast.

Driving in Oregon Month by Month

What the road normally throws at you, month by month, from NOAA's 1991–2020 normals for Oregon's own stations. Each month names its dominant hazard and the place that measured it — this is what the month is usually like, not a forecast and not a restriction.

• January Snow 5.6 in of snow at Bend, 4.2 days that never thaw at Bend
• February Snow 5.8 in of snow at Bend, 2.5 days that never thaw at Bend
• March Freeze–thaw 22.9 nights that freeze and days that thaw at Bend
• April Freeze–thaw 18.2 nights that freeze and days that thaw at Bend
• May Frost 9.2 freezing nights at Bend
• June Quiet 4.5 wet days at Portland is the most the normals report
• July Heat 17.7 days above 90°F at Medford
• August Heat 17.5 days above 90°F at Medford
• September Heat 8.8 days above 90°F at Medford
• October Frost 14 freezing nights at Bend
• November Freeze–thaw 19.5 nights that freeze and days that thaw at Bend
• December Snow 6.2 in of snow at Bend, 5.1 days that never thaw at Bend

Oregon Chain Law & Traction Tires

Oregon posts a snow zone sign and the words on it are the requirement. Most of them ask a car to carry chains or traction tires rather than to fit them, which is why a driver can be legal on bare tires and still be fined for having nothing in the trunk.

What the snow zone signs require

A traction tire in Oregon is a studded tire, a retractable studded tire, or a tire carrying the three-peak mountain-snowflake emblem for severe snow service. A mud and snow (M+S) marking is not enough on its own — which is the trap if you have driven Colorado or Washington on the same set. Where chains are required on a car, they go on one tire on each side of the primary drive axle: the front tires on a front-wheel drive, the rear on a rear-wheel drive.

Carry chains or traction tires

They have to be in or on the vehicle. Nothing has to be fitted yet, and an empty trunk is the violation.

Chains required. Traction tires allowed on vehicles under 10,000 GVW

A car may run traction tires instead of chains — but only if it is not towing or being towed. Tow anything and it is chains.

Chains required on vehicles towing or over 10,000 GVW

A car that is not towing is unaffected. This level is aimed at trucks and trailers.

Conditional road closure

Posted when the standard restrictions are not enough for the conditions, and the wording on the day says who is exempt — ODOT's own example is chains on all vehicles except four-wheel drives that are not towing.

Fines

Non-compliance is a Class C traffic infraction.

Studded tires

Studded tires are legal in Oregon only from November 1 through March 31, and driving on them outside those dates carries a fine of nearly $200. Inside the season they do count as a traction tire. Oregon is the strict state on the other half of that list: Colorado and Washington both accept a plain mud and snow marking, and Oregon does not.

Commercial vehicles

Commercial vehicles are held to the higher standard: failing to carry and use chains is a Class A traffic violation, not a Class C, and the towing exception that lets a car use traction tires does not apply.

How you will know it is active

• Snow zone signs on the highway itself
• TripCheck.com, ODOT's own travel map, including its chain restriction layer
• ODOT road condition reports, per highway

Chain and traction tire requirements are ODOT's to post and they change with the storm. This page does not carry them — tripcheck.com ↗ is the authority before you set off.

Source: ODOT, checked August 26, 2026.

Related Roads

Oregon Road Weather FAQ

Are any roads closed in Oregon right now?

No full closures are reported on the interstates in Oregon. No lane closures or roadworks are reported either.

What are Oregon road conditions today?

The map on this page colors the interstates across Oregon by what is on the pavement right now — dry, wet, slush, snow or ice — from radar and surface data, last updated Sep 15, 2026 2:48 AM UTC. Right now temperatures run from 56°F to 80°F and the strongest wind is 12 mph.

What is the Oregon chain law?

A traction tire in Oregon is a studded tire, a retractable studded tire, or a tire carrying the three-peak mountain-snowflake emblem for severe snow service. A mud and snow (M+S) marking is not enough on its own — which is the trap if you have driven Colorado or Washington on the same set. Where chains are required on a car, they go on one tire on each side of the primary drive axle: the front tires on a front-wheel drive, the rear on a rear-wheel drive.

What is the penalty for ignoring an Oregon snow zone sign?

Non-compliance is a Class C traffic infraction.

Do I need chains to drive I-5 over Siskiyou Summit in winter?

Not always. It depends which of 4 requirements is posted: "Carry chains or traction tires" — they have to be in or on the vehicle. Nothing has to be fitted yet, and an empty trunk is the violation. "Chains required. Traction tires allowed on vehicles under 10,000 GVW" — a car may run traction tires instead of chains — but only if it is not towing or being towed. Tow anything and it is chains. "Chains required on vehicles towing or over 10,000 GVW" — a car that is not towing is unaffected. This level is aimed at trucks and trailers. "Conditional road closure" — posted when the standard restrictions are not enough for the conditions, and the wording on the day says who is exempt — ODOT's own example is chains on all vehicles except four-wheel drives that are not towing.

When are studded tires legal in Oregon?

Studded tires are legal in Oregon only from November 1 through March 31, and driving on them outside those dates carries a fine of nearly $200. Inside the season they do count as a traction tire. Oregon is the strict state on the other half of that list: Colorado and Washington both accept a plain mud and snow marking, and Oregon does not.

Which interstates run through Oregon?

Oregon has 2 through interstates on this site: I-5 and I-84 West — about 684 miles of interstate across the state. Each has its own page for the Oregon stretch.

Are there mountain passes in Oregon?

Yes — 3 on this site: Siskiyou Summit at 4,310 ft, Cabbage Hill at 3,615 ft and Santiam Pass at 4,817 ft. Each has its own summit page.

Where are Oregon road closures reported officially?

Oregon's official traveler information service is tripcheck.com, and it is where closures and restrictions are reported.

Are there live traffic cameras in Oregon?

Yes. This page shows 6 live views in Oregon from the state transportation departments' own camera feeds, further down the page, refreshed each time you load it.

How often are Oregon road conditions updated?

The road surface and weather layers are rebuilt whenever this page is opened with data more than ten minutes old, and refreshed on a schedule in between, so nothing here is more than about two hours old even on a road nobody has looked at. Closures and road blocks are re-imported from the state 511 feeds every fifteen minutes, and the written state-by-state summaries are refreshed daily. Every section on this page carries the time its data was fetched.