EVERETT — Apparently, a white Christmas in Everett comes at a price.
Icy roads could linger for days and make holiday trips a headache, according to the National Weather Service.
Snow flurries began falling at sea level around sunset of Christmas Eve in Snohomish County. Many families awoke to 1 to 3 inches of gleaming, crunchy snow Monday in their neighborhoods.
Meanwhile, first-responders had been working through the night to keep up with a steady stream of spin-outs, stall-outs and cars in ditches around the city and the county.
Deputies were handling 11 collisions at the same time at 7 p.m. Sunday in Snohomish County, according to the sheriff’s office. Eight more crashes in the Machias area were keeping things busy around the prime milk-and-cookie hour of 10 p.m.
Some roads in north Marysville and Lynnwood were shut down because they were too hazardous.
Main streets in Everett were mostly plowed and bare Christmas morning. As for side streets and cul de sacs? Not so clear.
Christmas snow started to melt somewhat when the air warmed up Monday. But that half-melted slush was expected to freeze again overnight as temperatures dip into the 20s, making driving a potentially dangerous adventure Tuesday, according to the weather service.
The forecast through Wednesday calls for a chance of rain and snow showers near sea level. Snohomish and Island counties were expected to be among the most severely affected by the refreeze, as well as freezing fog and black ice.
Over and over, authorities repeated the same messages.
Take it slow on the roads. Give other drivers extra space. And if you don’t absolutely need to travel, maybe try relaxing.
Caleb Hutton: 425-339-3454; chutton@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @snocaleb.
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