A Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect till midnight, the National Weather Service said. It's expected to be cloudy tonight with a chance of freezing rain and light snow. The forecast calls for temperatures in the mid-20s to low 30s.
Snow piled up around the region today. Tacoma residents reported accumulations from 5 to 8 inches, while some parts of Pierce County saw totals around 10 inches. One of the hardest hit areas appears to be around Olympia, where a foot to 2 feet of snow fell.
Ice- and snow-covered roads will likely be a problem tonight as temperatures fall. If you head out, drive slowly and give other drivers plenty of room.
Multiple crashes and spin-outs were reported today on South Sound roads and highways.
Trooper Guy Gill said the Washington State Patrol handled 205 collisions in Pierce and Thurston counties since about 12:30 a.m. In the same time frame last week, the State Patrol handled 20 crashes, Gill said.
"Lots of spin-outs and cars in the ditch. That means those drivers forgot my very simple equation ... Snow+Ice+Speed=crash," Gill tweeted this morning.
Gill reminds drivers that, if you do get stuck, stay in your vehicle and wait for help. "Other cars might be coming right behind you," and you don’t want to get hurt or injured.
Forty Pierce County vehicles worked today to clear primary arterial routes and hoped to shift over to secondary arterials and residential roads tonight, said Bruce Wagner of Pierce County Public Works and Utilities.
Crews have been plowing 1,517 lane miles of primary arterial routes linking to residential areas. Wagner said he hopes crews will start plowing secondary arterials and residential roads from 6 p.m. to midnight today. That’s another 924 lane miles of roads. Then, crews will salt and plow primary arterials again overnight.
“We’re focusing our resources on the good of the many,” Wagner said.
Buses are running in the South Sound, albeit on limited schedules or with changed routes. For Pierce Transit information, go here or call 253-984-8155.
For King County Metro information, go here, and to get more details about Sound Transit, go here.
Schools are beginning to announce schedule changes for Thursday. Eatonville is the first Pierce County school district to cancel classes.
Check back at www.thenewstribune.com for regular forecast updates, school and government closures and more weather-related news.
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