Snowstorm snarls driving and will delay schools Tuesday
The first significant snowfall of the season in the Tri-Cities created traffic chaos, including a crash that killed a child.
And the slippery mess could continue Tuesday morning.
The National Weather Service was forecasting more snow Monday night in the Tri-Cities.
Snow began to fall a little before noon Monday, with another two to four inches possible overnight, according to the weather service.
Go to bit.ly/snowdelays to check for school delays and closures for Tuesday.
Many schools had already announced by Monday evening a two-hour delay for Tuesday morning. Also, the Tri-Cities Food Bank will be closed Tuesday in Kennewick and Richland.
Some flights at the Tri-Cities Airport were canceled Monday night because of weather issues elsewhere.
Drivers should plan on slippery roads for their morning commute. And travelers should make sure they are prepared for an emergency with warm clothes, a flashlight, food and water in their car.
The snowfall is expected to taper off Tuesday. A 60 percent chance of snow was forecast for before 10 a.m., but with less than a half inch accumulation expected.
A storm warning issued by the weather service is set to expire at 10 a.m. Tuesday.
Crashes kept police busy
The snowfall has been the heaviest of what’s been a mild winter so far. Until Monday, just 0.3 inch of snow had fallen in the Tri-Cities, according to AccuWeather.
Many drivers were having a difficult time.
Law enforcement officials responded to a fatal crash on Highway 395 near Eltopia in Franklin County at 4:45 p.m.
Coroner Curtis McGary said a 7-year-old child from the Moses Lake died. No further information was available.
South of the Tri-Cities a car slid off the Snake River bridge at Burbank, but did not land in the water.
The Washington State Patrol reported that it responded to 55 crashes in the Tri-Cities area by 3:42 p.m., with the evening commute yet to begin.
Up to 90 percent of the collisions were caused by people driving too fast for the road and weather conditions, Trooper Chris Thorson posted on social media.
“4-wheel drive doesn’t mean 4-wheel stop,” the Pasco Police Department posted on social media.
A brisk wind was blowing snow across highways, reducing visibility.
A gust of 30 mph was reported mid afternoon at the Tri-Cities Airport as the wind blew at sustained speeds of about 20 mph.
Commuters headed home early
Many businesses closed early Monday and many after-school and evening events were canceled.
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland sent its workers home about 2:30 p.m. The national lab has about 4,000 local workers.
Most workers at the Hanford nuclear reservation, including at the vitrification plant, were sent home at 2:30 p.m. or 3 p.m. Workers on the swing and graveyard shifts were told not to report to work Monday night unless their jobs were essential for the safety and security.
Traffic through Richland was slow as Washington State University Tri-Cities also canceled classes set for 4 p.m. or later and the Richland School District shut down after-school activities at the same time.
Some agencies, including the cities of West Richland and Prosser, announced they planned to delay opening their offices by two hours on Tuesday.
Colder weather coming
The wind had dropped the windchill to just 12 degrees at the Tri-Cities Airport at 9 a.m. Monday. The temperature was 26 degrees.
By 5 p.m. the windchill was down to 9 degrees.
The week could see the lowest temperature of what’s been fairly mild winter so far. The low Tuesday night may be 20, falling to 16 Wednesday night.
Highs should be in the upper 20s to low 30s through Saturday. The early forecast calls for a high of 26 on Sunday in the Tri-Cities.
The snow may return.
The early forecast called for a slight chance of snow Thursday night increasing to a 30 percent chance of snow Friday.
This story was originally published February 4, 2019 at 10:09 AM.