Snow hits Tri-Cities, snarling holiday travel on roads and in the air. It’s not done
Tri-Citians woke up to at least an inch of new snow Friday morning, ensuring a white Christmas but causing traveling nightmares for drivers and some trying to catch flights.
The winter weather that hit the state caused crashes on state highways, canceled flights and closed libraries.
Freezing rain even closed two runways at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and suspended transit bus service in Seattle, the Seattle Times reported.
Tri-Citians shared pictures on social media of long lines of cars on Interstate 182 as troopers responded to a series of crashes throughout the Tri-Cities, including some that closed part of the I-182 bridge between Richland and Pasco.
Snowy forecast
The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory for the region until 4 a.m. Saturday. That included a 90% chance of snow throughout the area until early Friday afternoon.
Then the snow level is predicted to rise to 4,900 feet, with about a 40% chance of a wintry mix falling. The total snow accumulation is expected to be less than an inch, according to the agency.
Temperatures were to stay in the mid teens throughout Friday, with it sinking to a low of 14 degrees overnight.
There was a 50% chance of a wintry mix and a 30% chance of freezing rain into Saturday morning.
People looking to drive on the day before Christmas are likely to be greeted with freezing rain in much of the region. The chance is likely to taper off heading into Saturday night.
Then there is a 40% chance of freezing rain on Christmas Day in Tri-Cities, with a 30% chance of a wintry mix overnight.
The freezing temperatures that gripped the Tri-Cities much of this week are expected to ease during the weekend with a high of 26 on Saturday and 32 on Christmas.
Monday will likely be the first day when temperatures rise above the freezing mark.
They are expected to reach 35 degrees. There is a 40% chance of rain and snow during the day Monday, switching over to a 70% chance of rain overnight.
Driving woes
The winter weather struck the region just as people were preparing for their holiday travel and last-minute shopping.
Snow and ice issues closed runways at Sea-Tac forcing the cancellation of hundreds of flights, including Alaska and Delta flights at the Tri-Cities Airport in Pasco on Friday morning. By 1 p.m. Friday, Tri-Cities airport had seven flights listed as canceled.
Other airports frequently traveled to from Pasco are also experiencing cancellations. Denver, Minneapolis St-Paul and Salt Lake City are all seeing disruptions, with Denver canceling about 400 flights. As of 1 p.m. Friday more than 7,600 flights had been canceled nationwide.
The Washington State Patrol reported that the snow caused several crashes Friday morning on state highways and interstates in the region.
Troopers responded to 30 wrecks in the Tri-City area on Friday, according to a tweet from Trooper Chris Thorson.
At one point, troopers responded to five different crashes at the same time, including a three-vehicle crash on eastbound Interstate 182 on the bridge between Richland and Pasco.
No serious injuries were reported.
The Washington State Department of Transportation is warning people wanting to travel over Snoqualmie Pass to expect rapidly changing conditions.
Snow is forecast through Saturday with it changing over to rain on Saturday night and Christmas Day.
Oregon’s section of Interstate 84 in both directions has been closed periodically due to the storms blowing through the area.
Cancellations
The snow caused several cancellations throughout the Mid-Columbia.
- The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s Richland campus along with the Hanford Site 300 area was closed for all nonessential staff Friday.
- Hanford swing and graveyard shifts for non-essential employees on Dec. 23 were canceled.
- Meals on Wheels dining centers closed.
- Washington State University Tri-Cities campus in Richland closed.
- The Mid-Columbia Libraries, which also were offered as warming centers for the homeless, were closing at 3 p.m. Friday. All branches are closed Saturday and Sunday for Christmas.
This story was originally published December 23, 2022 at 10:55 AM.