Tri-Cities snow makes roads slick, delays some classes. How long will it stick around?
The Tri-Cities woke up to snow on the ground Thursday.
The National Weather Service reported 0.25 inch of snow about 7 a.m. in the Tri-Cities.
Reports of a little deeper snow came from outlying areas, including the Hanford site.
Police were responding to crashes on slick roads throughout Benton and Franklin counties Thursday morning, but there were no immediate reports of serious injuries.
The Washington State Patrol reported 68 crashes from early morning until 9 a.m. It said most were caused by driving too fast on snowy or icy roads.
“Please remember to slow down. The roads are slick!” the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook.
The Prosser and Paterson School Districts, plus Liberty Christian School in Richland started two hours late.
Several government offices also delayed opening, including the West Richland city offices and the Benton County Sheriff’s Office in Kennewick.
The snow isn’t expected to last long. The sun was shining by mid morning Thursday and the temperature was expected to warm to 35 by late afternoon, according to the weather service.
The high on Friday should increase to 40 and high temperatures should be in the upper 40s Sunday and Monday, increasing to the mid 50s on Tuesday.
The low Friday night will be around 20, but by Sunday night the low should be above freezing.
A slight chance of more snow is forecast for Saturday night and Sunday morning, but warming temperatures after a blast of Arctic air should make precipitation early in the next work week likely to fall as rain.
Travel forecast
The weather was clear Thursday at Snoqualmie Pass on Interstate 90 in the Cascade Mountains.
But snow is likely through the weekend, including three to five inches Saturday night.
Travelers on Interstate 84 through the Blue Mountains in Eastern Oregon should expect 1 to 3 inches of fresh snow through Thursday and then more snow on the weekend, according to the weather service.
This story was originally published February 24, 2022 at 8:36 AM.