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Ice remains a hazard for drivers

Jan 16, 2008 | CASEY MCNERTHNEY | Seattle Times

Prepare for another icy commute, even if the worst may be behind us. That's the word from State Patrol troopers who scrambled to keep up with dozens of minor traffic collisions Tuesday morning.

Some students who had hoped to stay home in the snow instead went to school late, as frustrated parents reworked schedules to brave slick roads.

And meteorologists say the ice that coated some King County roads and created headaches for thousands of motorists will likely return early Wednesday.

"The lows overnight will be in the upper 20s or low 30s," said Chris Burke of the National Weather Service. "Any water that's on the roadway will probably freeze."

That forecast has extra state Department of Transportation crews on standby, and others planning to spread deicer on the roads that caused troubles Tuesday.

"We're monitoring bridges and ramps, because elevated structures tend to stay icier than other roadways," department spokeswoman Erin Bogenschutz said. "We'll do our part to get them deiced, and drivers have to do their part and be careful."

State Patrol spokesman Jeff Merrill said dozens of collisions were reported Tuesday, primarily in the morning. Bellevue and Issaquah had many of them, and Interstate 5 near Northgate was also a problem area, he said.

The number of accidents dropped later in the day as temperatures increased. Nearly all the snow that hit King County fell Monday night, Burke said.

A Monday windstorm also led to the death of a 74-year-old Jefferson County woman. Suzanne Charawell was driving home to Port Ludlow from Port Hadlock when a tree fell and crushed the front passenger section of her car. Two Jefferson County sheriff's deputies happened to be nearby and attempted emergency aid until firefighters arrived. But Charawell could not be resuscitated.

Monday snowfall in Seattle ranged from a half-inch in Lake City to 1 1/2 inches on parts of Capitol Hill, Burke said.

Redmond Ridge had the highest snowfall Monday, reporting 2.6 inches, according to the National Weather Service. Bellevue had 2.2 inches, and 2 inches fell in North Bend.

Metro Transit had some buses on snow routes Tuesday, particularly on the Eastside, where they also used shuttles to ferry passengers to larger commuter buses at lower elevations. Similar shuttles were used around Queen Anne.

Bus drivers in the Northshore School District also had extra time to install tire chains Tuesday -- junior high and high school classes were delayed an hour, and elementary school classes were 1 1/2 hours late.

Seattle Public Schools didn't have delays, but the Lake Washington School District canceled after-school and evening activities, including some sports events with Seattle schools.

National Weather Service meteorologists said Seattle should be mostly cloudy Wednesday with a high of 40 degrees. There's a chance of snow north of Seattle, especially at higher elevations, but that wouldn't be more than a trace, Burke said.

Still, school officials are planning ahead. Susan Stoltzfus, a Northshore School District spokeswoman, said colleagues will begin checking conditions at 3 a.m. to determine if school delays or cancellations are needed.