SPOKANE, Wash. — Drivers heading out on Wednesday morning will face a difficult drive as snow continues to fall around Spokane. Most roads are buried under several inches of snow, and road crews are warning about blowing, drifting snow.
A crash on I-90 in Liberty Lake slowed traffic around 8:00 a.m. Visibility in the area is also very low.
On I-90 eastbound at the US 2 interchange, a crash closed lanes on Wednesday morning. A traffic camera in the area showed extremely low visibility and heavy snow. The crash had cleared as of 8:30 a.m.
City of Spokane
The City of Spokane said its focus right now is on the primary arterials and hills. With snow falling as fast as it is, the city expects it will need to continue to rework those routes throughout the morning. That means the city will not be able to get to secondary routes like schools and hospitals until later today.
The city has not yet called for an all-city plow, but it is expected. Still, people should not expect neighborhood streets to be cleared right away.
The city is asking people with the flexibility to stay home or leave later to do so, as it helps the plows. It said the decision to close Spokane Public Schools will also help keep traffic down on the roads giving them space to work.
Washington State Department of Transportation
The Washington State Department of Transportation has called in additional crews to help keep the highways clear. However, with snow falling as quickly as it is, drivers should be prepared for snow-covered roads, even on the highways.
WSDOT reports serious blowing and drifting snow on I-90 west of Spokane. They warn that many areas look bare but snow is blowing across the roadway. Meanwhile, in Whitman County, crews are battling two foot-snow drifts.
WSDOT reports that one of its plows was hit by another vehicle early this morning. WSDOT said the driver was going too fast, trying to pass on the right, lost control, and ran into the side of the plow. No one was hurt and the plow (Sir Plows-a-lot) was not damaged.
Spokane County Roads
"If you can stay home today, please do so," Martha Lou Wheatley-Billeter with Spokane County said.
Spokane County is working priority 1 snow routes across all four road districts. The county is asking people to clear anything they can from roads, like trash cans, and parked cars.
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