Current Events
| Name: | CE Assignment No. |
| Headline: | Portland Area Hit With Historic Snowfall Tuesday Night, More On The Way |
| Source: | OPB |
| Link to Source: | http://www.opb.org/news/article/oregon-washington-portland-vancouver-gorge-weather-snow-ice-historic/ |
| Article’s Key Spokesman: | |
| Name: | Don Hamilton |
| Title: | Spokesman |
| Organization: | Oregon Department of Transportation |
| Key Issue(s)/Topic: |
| The key issue in this is article is the historic snowfall that hit the Portland area rendering most roads in the region impassable. According to the article, this was one of the snowiest days ever recorded in the history of the Portland International Airport (Vance B.M., Blanchard D. & Conrad W. n.pg). The event affected the movement of people and good to and from the airport with the Oregon Department of Transportation advising people to stay at home as they tried to clear accumulated snow on paths and roads. |
| What are the relevant and significant points for discussion? |
| Significantly, the article outlines the impacts of weather on the operations of airports. In this case, snowfall rendered many roads leading to the airport impassable thus making it difficult for people to travel. According to reports, many cars were abandoned on the vehicle while other people were stranded in their vehicles. It is important to understand that the weather may significantly affect airport operations. For instance, low clouds, fog, and snow may create a visibility problem at or around an airport. Moreover, the presence of snow impedes the movement of aircraft, vehicles, people, and goods thereby affecting the business operations of an airport. Obstructions of roads leading to Portland airport disrupted flight schedules thereby creating transport crisis. |
| After reviewing this article, what are your views and outlook on this subject? |
| Based on my view, it is important for airport administration and aviation professionals to understand the impacts of weather on airport operations. Snowfall may greatly affect the operations of airports by making it impossible for people and goods to reach the airport. Therefore, Portland Airport can adequately prepare for such extreme events to ensure that business is not disrupted. For instance, the airport can invest in infrastructure such as TV 2000 snow-blower to help deal with such scenarios amicably. For that matter, aviation industry managers should create awareness and conduct training aimed at highlighting the impacts of weather on their operations, especially snowfalls. |
Work Cited
Vance B.M., Blanchard D & Conrad W. Portland Area Hit With Historic Snowfall Tuesday
Night, More On the Way. OPB. 2017. http://www.opb.org/news/article/oregon-washington-portland-vancouver-gorge-weather-snow-ice-historic/. Accessed October 16, 2017.