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Icy roads in Tri-Cities meant crashes and school delays

By Annette Cary
Kennewick, WA

Cars were slipping and sliding around the Tri-Cities on Monday morning’s icy roads.

Police agencies reported several crashes, most of them with minor injuries.

However, an ambulance was called to a crash at Sagehill and Fern Roads north of Basin City when a car ended up flipped over into the bottom of a dry canal.

Arminda Hall pours the last of a bag of salt onto the icy sidewalk Monday morning in front of her home in the 1600 block of South Olympia Place in Kennewick. An overnight winter storm coated much of the Mid-Columbia with snow and freezing rain causing many school districts to delay the start of the school day by two hours.
Arminda Hall pours the last of a bag of salt onto the icy sidewalk Monday morning in front of her home in the 1600 block of South Olympia Place in Kennewick. An overnight winter storm coated much of the Mid-Columbia with snow and freezing rain causing many school districts to delay the start of the school day by two hours. Bob Brawdy Tri-City Herald

“County roads are very slick this morning,” the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office reported on social medial about 8 a.m.

Later in the morning Keene Road east of Van Giesen was closed except for one lane because of a one-car crash with minor injuries, according to the West Richland Police Department.

Icy roads contributed to a crash near Union Street and 10th Avenue in Kennewick Monday morning.
Icy roads contributed to a crash near Union Street and 10th Avenue in Kennewick Monday morning. Courtesy Kennewick Police Department

In Kennewick, a crash near 10th Avenue and Union Street slowed traffic. Kennewick police reported three crashes within an hour during the morning commute time.

And many students in the Tri-Cities and region were told to report to school two hours late.

While Richland School District classes were not delayed, classes in the Pasco and Kennewick school districts started two hours late.

Enough snow fell Sunday night to lightly cover the ground in the Tri-Cities.

Freezing temperatures and freezing rain in some areas overnight contributed to the slippery conditions.

Temperatures should be warming this week, with highs in the 40s Tuesday through the weekend in the Tri-Cities.

Rain is in the forecast Tuesday but a slight chance of snow and rain is possible again Thursday night, according to the weather service.

A chance of rain and snow also is forecast for Saturday night and Sunday.

An ambulance was called after a vehicle overturned in a dry canal in north Franklin County Monday morning.
An ambulance was called after a vehicle overturned in a dry canal in north Franklin County Monday morning. Courtesy Franklin County Sheriff's Office

This story was originally published December 10, 2018 at 12:44 PM.

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