Heavy snowfall plagues Portland, Oregon as the city has accumulated over one foot of snow in the last few weeks; Seattle, Washington has not experienced this extreme weather despite its proximity to the city.

KATU, a weather reporting station located in Portland, said that Governor Kate Brown has declared a state of emergency for Oregon. Brown recommends Oregonians to avoid travel until authorities have cleared the roads.

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler also declared a state of emergency for the city, according to KATU. Over 5,000 people in Portland are without power and many schools have been forced to close. In response, the Seattle Department of Transportation is sending machinery to help clear out the snow. Seattle has not accumulated any snow and the temperature is expected to remain in the low 40s according to the Weather Channel.

Approximately once a year it is typical for Portland to experience heavy snow, says the National Weather Service. However, Seattle may go several years without seeing any serious accumulation. This can be accredited to Seattle’s location on the Puget Sound, which does not see temperatures as cool during the winter, and according to Vernal Coleman from The Seattle Times, inoculates Seattle from blizzards that Portland experiences.