Pass and schools close during Valley snowstorm
January 18, 2012
By Sebastian Moraga
The winter weather not only closed roads and blocked driveways. It also canceled meetings and trips, closed schools, and detoured bus routes and garbage collection.
The Snoqualmie Valley School District closed schools and cancelled all school-related activities at 4 a.m. Jan. 17 due to the snowstorm expected to hit this week.
One canceled activity was a North Bend Elementary School’s fifth-grade trip to Olympia.
The Department of Natural Resources postponed an open house celebrating the Snoqualmie Corridor planning kickoff. The meeting will be rescheduled in February.
On Jan. 17, the Snoqualmie Valley Youth Council alerted its members that its Jan. 18 meeting would be cancelled if school were cancelled that day.
The city of Snoqualmie alerted residents that Allied Waste Management would not pick up garbage Jan. 17 in Snoqualmie or North Bend. Residents should leave a double load on the next collection day, city spokeswoman Joan Pliego wrote in an email.
Also on Jan. 17, the Washington State Department of Transportation closed Snoqualmie Pass from North Bend to Ellensburg due to avalanche control work that needed to be done. The department’s website stated the earliest the pass would reopen was 11 a.m.
The forecast Jan. 16 called for up to 10 inches of snow in North Bend and Snoqualmie on Jan.17 and 18. The entire Pacific Northwest region is expected to endure up to a foot and a half of snow, which would make this the heaviest snowstorm in decades for the area.
The National Weather Services has put Northwest cities and towns from Bellingham in the north to Portland, Ore., in the south and from Seattle to Kalispell, Mont., on alert.
With the Puget Sound area averaging about 6 inches of snow per year, a blizzard this size could make traveling much more dangerous.
King County Sheriff’s Office deputies and the department of transportation have advised commuters to follow certain tips during snowy days:
-q Drive slow.
- Keep headlights on.
- Keep a larger distance than usual from the vehicle ahead of you.
- Make sure you have at least a half-full tank of gas and wiper fluid reservoir.
- Use your brakes sparingly to avoid skidding, and do not pump anti-lock brakes to stop.
- Slow down when approaching bridges, onramps, offramps and shady spots.
- Even if you have an all-wheel drive vehicle, you must follow these rules.
The WSDOT recommends maneuvering carefully around plows and road maintenance crews, never passing them on the right, and staying behind them until it’s absolutely safe to pass. The Washington State Patrol recommends that if you need to pull over, you should stay with your vehicle, where you will be safer. Call for help or hang a colorful piece of cloth from your window or antenna.
Check for status updates at www.wsdot.wa.gov, watch for more weather news at www.snovalleystar.com or follow us on Twitter, @SVStarNews.
Comments
Got something to say?
Before you comment, please note:
- These comments are moderated.
- Comments should be relevant to the topic at hand and contribute to its discussion.
- Personal attacks and/or excessive profanity will not be tolerated and such comments will not be approved.
- This is not your personal chat room or forum, so please stay on topic.
