Fleeing the Storm

We decided to flee the Salem area today, ahead of yet another snow & ice storm.  Not wanting to chance getting over the Siskyous, our plan was to take the coastal route. The one thing that has held us up leaving for warmer climates  since October has been Volkswagen taking back our 2015 Golf Sportwagen because of the emmisions fiasco. Our appointment to return the car was at 3:00 this afternoon, which would have given us a late start to make it somewhere on the southern Oregon Coast, so it would have made sense to leave tomorrow morning, BUT the weather forecast called for snow tonight continuing through tomorrow.  So, we packed-up the motor home and took the car to Volkswagen of Salem around 11:00, hoping for an opening before 3:00 so we could get down the road sooner. To our great suprise and happiness, they processed us a few minutes after we got there and before noon we were blasting down I-5 in a blinding rain storm with the temperature hanging around 38-39.  The rain stopped someplace around Cottage Grove, and the sun actually peaked out a little just before Reedsport. When we made our first stop a William Tugman State Park, as shown in the photo, there was no rain and the temp was 44 degrees.  By the time we got to Coos Bay we were at a balmy 51 degrees, which might be the highest temps we have experience since Jan 1st. We are parked tonight in the Pony Village parking lot, and will venture further south along the coast tomorrow.