Weather News

Tri-Cities snow delays school, keeps police busy with more than 80 crashes

By Tri-City Herald staff

Many school children got to show up to school two hours late Tuesday after the biggest Tri-Cities snowfall of the winter arrived overnight.

Snow started falling Monday afternoon and left about 2 inches coating the ground in even the lowest areas of the Tri-Cities.

Then suddenly slick streets and highways sent cars sliding.

Trooper Chris Thorson with the Washington State Patrol said troopers investigated 80 collisions by 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in the Tri-City area.

Most of these crashes happened because people were driving too fast for the conditions, he said.

People were hurt in three of the crashes, including a semi that jack-knifed, blocking Highway 240 for six hours Monday. Officers said the injuries were not serious.

The westbound lanes of Interstate 90 were closed near Ellensburg for a time Tuesday morning but reopened at 10:30 a.m. Chains were required on Snoqualmie Pass except all-wheel drive and four-wheel drive vehicles. And state transportation officials said drivers should expect to add at least 30 minutes more to their travel time.

Richland police reported that roads were slippery at dawn Tuesday, but that snow plows were out in force.

Traffic slows to a crawl across the cable bridge Monday night as snowfall creates hazardous driving conditions on the roadways across the Mid-Columbia. Washington State Patrol troopers investigated 60 collisions Monday between 2 and 6 p.m. in the Tri-City area.
Traffic slows to a crawl across the cable bridge Monday night as snowfall creates hazardous driving conditions on the roadways across the Mid-Columbia. Washington State Patrol troopers investigated 60 collisions Monday between 2 and 6 p.m. in the Tri-City area. Bob Brawdy Tri-City Herald

One family in the Hills West area of Richland had two cars wipe out in separate collisions within an hour because of icy roads on that neighborhood’s steep slopes, said police.

Interstate 182 and Highway 240 also remained treacherous. In one morning crash, a pickup ended up upside down, blocking the left lane of the highway near Edison Street in Kennewick.

A city of Kennewick snowplow scrapes snow and slush from the eastbound lanes of East First Avenue Tuesday morning in downtown Kennewick. Snow removal crews were busy around the Mid-Columbia after a winter storm dropped an estimated 1-2 inches of snow.
A city of Kennewick snowplow scrapes snow and slush from the eastbound lanes of East First Avenue Tuesday morning in downtown Kennewick. Snow removal crews were busy around the Mid-Columbia after a winter storm dropped an estimated 1-2 inches of snow. Bob Brawdy Tri-City Herald

Hanford shifts started on time Tuesday, but officials there were warning the site’s thousands of employees that roadways were slick and they should plan for a longer than usual drive to work.

Colder weather forecast

Most Tri-City school districts were on delayed starts Tuesday, included Richland, Kennewick, Pasco and Finley. A complete list of school delays is posted daily at bit.ly/snowdelays.

Mid-Columbia Meals on Wheels planned no home deliveries Tuesday, and the Benton and Franklin county dining sites were expected to remain closed. However, the Fowler Street Cafe was open.

Pasco School District students board their buses after a two-hour delay because of winter weather conditions Tuesday morning on West B Street near South 5th Avenue.
Pasco School District students board their buses after a two-hour delay because of winter weather conditions Tuesday morning on West B Street near South 5th Avenue. Bob Brawdy Tri-City Herald

The chance of more snow in the next few days in the Tri-Cities is slight, with just a 10 to 20 percent chance of snow Wednesday and Wednesday night, according to the National Weather Service.

But Wednesday morning drivers will need to watch for slick patches on roadways because of freezing fog in the Tri-Cities, says the weather service.

Garry Gorsuch shovels snow from the sidewalk Tuesday morning near his downtown Kennewick business, Awaken Well Chiropractic. An estimated 1-2 inches of snow fell creating slick conditions on area roads and delaying the start of school for many Mid-Columbia students.
Garry Gorsuch shovels snow from the sidewalk Tuesday morning near his downtown Kennewick business, Awaken Well Chiropractic. An estimated 1-2 inches of snow fell creating slick conditions on area roads and delaying the start of school for many Mid-Columbia students. Bob Brawdy Tri-City Herald

It forecasts unusually low temperatures this week in the Tri-Cities, even though an Arctic blast of cold air is not expected to move as far south into Washington state as earlier predicted.

However, the high Wednesday is expected to be below freezing, with temperatures increasing to highs of only 36 or 37 degrees Thursday through Saturday.

Tuesday night was expected to be the coldest of the week with a low of 15 forecast. The overnight low Wednesday is expected to be 26 degrees.

This story was originally published January 14, 2020 at 7:35 AM.

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