Weather News

Morning snow closed and delayed some Tri-Cities schools

By Tri-City Herald staff

Some Tri-Cities school districts canceled or delayed the start of Monday classes as more snow continued falling.

Pasco schools were closed for the day for in-person and online classes.

But Kennewick and Richland schools opened on time.

Kennewick middle school students started back in classrooms Monday. Richland’s sixth-graders return on Tuesday.

The snow made roads slick for morning commuters throughout the Tri-Cities. Officers throughout the region responded to several crashes, Kennewick police said.

Washington State Patrol Trooper Chris Thorson reported that by 8 a.m. there already were 13 collisions on Tri-Cities highways, nine hear Grandview, five near Yakima and two at Walla Walla. All happened because people were driving too fast for the roadway conditions.

Officers urged people to slow down and give themselves extra time to make it to their destination.

Snow coats the ground and trees creating an appealing winter scene on South Union Street near the Fourth Avenue traffic roundabout early Monday morning in Kennewick.
Snow coats the ground and trees creating an appealing winter scene on South Union Street near the Fourth Avenue traffic roundabout early Monday morning in Kennewick. Bob Brawdy Tri-City Herald

The snowfall tapered off by mid-morning, and the National Weather Service said that snow accumulation ranged between 1 and 2 inches depending on where in the Mid-Columbia. The least accumulation was a half-inch in Benton City to 1.3 inches in Richland and 1 inch in Kennewick.

The National Weather Service says skies should remain mostly cloudy as temperatures warm up to near 37.

Some patchy freezing fog is forecast for after midnight until about 10 a.m. Tuesday.

Rain and possibly snow could return Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning at higher elevations.

High temperatures should warm into the 40s starting Wednesday through the weekend.

A Kennewick School District employee brushes away snow early Monday morning from the sidewalk in front of Highlands Middle School on South Tweedt Street. Signs in front of the building welcome students back to the classroom for a hybrid in-person learning schedule during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
A Kennewick School District employee brushes away snow early Monday morning from the sidewalk in front of Highlands Middle School on South Tweedt Street. Signs in front of the building welcome students back to the classroom for a hybrid in-person learning schedule during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Bob Brawdy Tri-City Herald

This story was originally published January 25, 2021 at 7:45 AM.

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