Wind and Snow Close Major Oregon Highway

Howling winds whipped new-fallen snow into doorknob-high drifts today and shut down a major interstate highway through northeast Oregon, jamming hotels and motels with hundreds of stranded holiday travelers.

Rain and gusty winds pounded coastal areas in the Northwest. In the East, rescuers searched the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Cod for six crewmen missing since their cargo ship overturned in a storm and 25-foot seas Wednesday night. Two other crew members died, and three were rescued.

Elsewhere, scattered showers were reported over eastern Texas and the lower Mississippi Valley, but the rest of the nation enjoyed fair weather heading into the New Year’s holiday weekend.

A 50-mile stretch of Interstate 84 from La Grande to Baker, Ore., was shut down today by wind-whipped snows that have reduced visibility to zero since Thursday.

The snow “has drifted up to the doorknobs in the office right here,” Oregon state trooper Stan Terry said in La Grande.

“Traffic’s not coming into La Grande at all, and that’s good because all the motels and hotels are full,” trooper Chris Asla said.

Steve Astell, 28, and his wife, Claire, of Seattle said they got one of the last rooms at a local motel.

“I guess we’re lucky,” Astell said. “I wonder how long we’ll be here, though.”

Senior state trooper Gary Cyphers at Pendleton, Ore., said there was zero visibility at Ladd Canyon because of half a foot or more of new snow and howling 40-m.p.h. winds.