Morning snow, freezing rain cause icy roads: SVSD buses slide into each other, several collisions on I-90

Snow, ice and sleet greeted drivers Friday morning, February 3, 2017 as they headed out for the day.

The National Weather Service issued a Winter Weather Advisory for the Snoqualmie Valley area around 6AM, with wintry mix beginning on Snoqualmie Ridge around 5:30AM. Within the hour it pushed eastward toward North Bend.

Residents reported snow, sleet, and freezing rain around the Snoqualmie Valley. By 7AM the Washington State Patrol responded to several collisions on westbound I-90 in the North Bend area, with a rollover accident blocking the left lane at one point.

In Snoqualmie, about a 1/2 – 1 inch of snow fell, mixed in with some freezing rain. It wasn’t a lot, but enough to make some neighborhood roads, especially in hilly areas, slick.

Snoqualmie Valley schools began on-time, running on normal bus routes. Most routes ran smoothly except for one minor collision involving two buses.

According to SVSD Public Information Officer Carolyn Malcolm, the minor accident, described as a “fender-bender” occurred near Eagle Lake (TPC Snoqualmie Ridge area). Buses for routes 19 (Twin Falls MS) and 22 (Mount Si HS) slid into each other due to icy road conditions.

Malcolm said no students or staff were hurt and no other cars were involved. Students remained safe and warm on the buses while transportation staff chained up the buses.  Other buses responded to pick up students who were still waiting at stops for the affected routes.

Neither bus sustained serious damage – just a little damage to a front bumper of one – and they were fine to finish their routes once chained up.

The City of Snoqualmie also responded to the accident scene of the Eagle Lake Drive and applied de-icer to the hill.  City crews had plows/sanders running much of the early morning hours, treating main roads like Snoqualmie Parkway and Railroad Ave.

Conditions are expected to warm up and change over to rain by early afternoon. Highs Friday should be around 35-40 degrees. The strong winds that plagued the Valley for almost two days are expected to ease as the day progresses.

 

Scene of minor Eagle Lake Drive bus accident, 2/3/17

 

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