NORTH BEND, Wash. — The City of North Bend declared a state of emergency Tuesday as some neighbors were left snowed in following the latest round of snow to hit the Northwest.
PHOTOS: North Bend buried under feet of snow
Snow fell steadily there Tuesday but tapered off around 4:30 p.m. with snowdrifts piled several feet high in areas, making the drive around town difficult even for all-wheel drive vehicles.
"I can't take my four-wheel drive out here because it's just too deep,” said North Bend neighbor Rick Mitchell.
Mitchell, 68, said he’s lived in North Bend his entire life. He’s never seen this much snow on the ground there.
"Not this much, for this long,” said Mitchell, who had snowdrift several feet high in his yard. "It's almost as tall as the fence."
I-90 remained closed Tuesday in both directions from North Bend to Ellensburg because of dangerous driving conditions, with WSDOT planning to reassess opening at 9 a.m. Wednesday.
KIRO 7 spotted semis that lined the freeway, unable to go over Snoqualmie Pass. Troopers had blocked off Exit 31 into North Bend earlier Tuesday.
Plows worked North Bend streets into Tuesday night.
The City of North Bend said the emergency declaration will allow the city to call in additional help and resources, if necessary, to respond to the most recent snowstorm.
The declaration also clears the way for federal and state funding to flow in and help cover costs from the snowstorm.
Cox Media Group
