Snow break in Tri-Cities forecast. But it may not last long

The Tri-Cities should get a break from snow on Tuesday — but maybe not for long.

The National Weather Service predicted partly sunny skies after two days of snowfall.

The Tri-Cities had as much as four inches of snow in some areas, including those at higher elevation, on Sunday. Snow continued to fall most of the day Monday, leaving roads and sidewalks buried again.

The Kennewick, Richland, Pasco and Finley school districts canceled classes for Tuesday.

The weather service is predicting a 40 percent chance of more snow falling Wednesday, increasing to a 50 percent on Thursday in the Tri-Cities. One to two inches of accumulation is possible on Thursday.

The Tri-Cities can look forward to a Friday and weekend that should be mostly sunny, but still colder than usual, according to the weather service forecast.

Lows will remain in the teens through at least Saturday night in the Tri-Cities. Highs should mostly be in the 20s, although the high on Friday could reach 31.

Normal February highs in the Tri-Cities are about 48 degrees and lows are about 30.

Most Tri-City K-12 schools started classes two-hours late Monday and then canceled after-school and evening activities, including the first day of practice for spring sports.

Richland School District also canceled its Choral Showcase set for Tuesday at the Richland High School.

Evening events also were canceled Monday at Columbia Basin College and Washington State University Tri-Cities, including evening classes.

Check for any school delays on Tuesday at bit.ly/snowdelays.

Delayed openings Tuesday

Franklin County offices and courthouse closed early Monday and planned to stay closed until 10 a.m. Tuesday. The Franklin County Commission meeting will start at 11 a.m.

Benton County Superior Court dockets and office, the county clerk’s office and the prosecuting attorney’s office also will be on a two-hour delay on Tuesday until 10 a.m.

The Benton-Franklin Health District offices in Kennewick and Pasco will be closed until 10:30 a.m.

Benton County has postponed its household hazardous waste drop-off event scheduled for March 2. It’s been reset to 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 27 at the Benton County Road Department Shop, 102808 Wiser Parkway, Kennewick.

The snowy weather of February is taking a toll on sports fields.

The city of West Richland canceled its March 1 opening of its fields, saying they would be closed until further notice because of the weather.

It warned residents to stay off fields, saying any use could damage them and further delay the opening.

Roads still slick

The number of crashes increased around the Mid-Columbia in the early afternoon Monday as the snow kept falling.

The Washington State Patrol was responding to many crashes on Interstate 82 between Benton City and the Oregon state line.

“Speed too fast for the roadway conditions is the leading cause for these wrecks today,” said Trooper Chris Thorson on social media.

The Benton County Sheriff’s Office warned of spots of ice, slush and snow on roads.

Some rural roads were closed by late morning Monday because of blowing snow and white-out conditions. Barricades where being placed at intersections to notify drivers.

Highway 241 from just north of Sunnyside to Highway 24 was expected to remain closed until at least Tuesday morning because of drifting show.

The Kennewick Fire Department responded to a house fire on Sunday after a resident tried melting ice with a propane torch.

A decorative tree caught on fire and the flames spread to the house. Firefighters were able to save the house.

“Always look for another way to melt ice or thaw frozen pipes,” the fire department posted on social media.

This story was originally published February 25, 2019 at 5:59 PM.