Snow, icy conditions make pass travel hazardous

Those traveling over the passes have been dealing with hazardous conditions as snow has been falling on and off all day Wednesday.

A crash involving two semitrucks on Interstate 90 caused a major backup, and Washington State Patrol troopers were forced to shut down all eastbound lanes for about an hour. No one was hurt.

Although things have calmed a little, drivers were warned that the treacherous conditions could last overnight.

The crash involving the semi was not only an issue on I-90 — there were other spinouts that occurred on the passes.

As for the semi-crash that closed eastbound I-90, the truck jackknifed, slipping on the icy and slushy road just before 3 p.m.

With more snow forecast for the mountains, crews with the Washington State Department of Transportation are preparing for conditions to worsen going into the weekend.

Crews have been working to clear the passes as the snow continues to fall on and off, and that snow could also make its way to the lowlands.

In King County, crews are also preparing for what could be hazardous conditions.

“King County road services maintenance crews are gearing up all of our dump trucks with snow plows and sanders,” said Jeremy Ferguson, the King County maintenance section manager.

He said they will have plows and trucks out as early as Saturday morning to treat the roads.

Emergency management officials said they will prioritize the vehicles’ deployment, putting hospitals, testing, and vaccination sites at the top of their list, so people can still access them as needed as the omicron variant continues to rise across the region.

Drivers are also getting ready, preparing for what could be an icy Christmas into the New Year.

KIRO 7 was even told by a tire shop in Renton that it was backlogged with drivers looking to get their tires rotated or who wanted snow tires.

Road officials reiterated to drivers to be prepared as conditions are subject to change quickly over the passes and to also be prepared for the weekend as conditions could be very icy and cold.

In the lowlands, King County is preparing to open five warming shelters. Three will open in Seattle, one in Bellevue and the other in Shoreline as preparations are underway for a cold, icy, and possibly a white Christmas.

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