Snow slipping away

By Diana Hefley

Herald Writer

The snowstorm that swept across Western Washington Tuesday left behind perfect sledding and treacherous driving.

Snohomish County fared better than Pierce and King counties, where snow brought Seattle and Tacoma to a near standstill. Roads were closed, government buildings were shuttered for the day and people played hooky rather than brave the slippery roads.

The snow traveled south to north in the early morning hours, with small dry flakes falling before dawn and piling up through most of the Puget Sound area. South of Seattle was hit hardest with up to 9 inches of snow, the National Weather Service reported

Most of the Everett area saw about 2 to 3 inches of snow with 1 to 2 inches more reported in the foothills and north and south Snohomish County.

Forecasters had predicted that warmer air would turn the snow to rain in the afternoon but the cold snap hung on and more snow and freezing rain were forecast through the evening. About 1 to 2 inches of additional snow and freezing rain were predicted with rain delayed until midnight, according to the National Weather Service.

Today’s outlook is warmer weather, with highs in the mid-40s to low 50s, and rain expected through Friday.

Around Snohomish County Tuesday, parks were a flurry of rosy-cheeked children on brightly-colored sleds. The roadways, on the other hand, were dotted with abandoned cars and stranded drivers who slipped and slid their ways into ditches.

Between midnight and 3 p.m. Tuesday, the State Patrol reported 102 accidents in the county. No serious injuries were reported.

"There were a lot of spinouts and bent fenders. It started in the north end in the early morning and moved to the south end later in the day," trooper Lance Ramsay said. "It’s just as slick out there. It hasn’t warmed up. The only difference is it isn’t snowing."

With most schools closed and many people opting to stay home, traffic was minimal, Ramsay said.

In Everett and other cities, road crews were on the streets before dawn clearing and sanding roads. High-traffic roads were plowed but most residential streets were not. Roads were closed in Bothell and Mountlake Terrace

In Lynnwood, as elsewhere, police were kept busy with minor traffic accidents and there were plenty of calls about errant snowballs.

"It’s been calm. We have had a few people complaining about kids throwing snowballs at vehicles," Cmdr. Paul Watkins said.

Roger Jones of Mountlake Terrace saw an opportunity to defrost the family freezer, which had built up about two inches of frost.

"I just put all the stuff from the freezer outside," he said. There was ice cream, hamburger, Popsicles and other food. "It stayed plenty cold there."

People in Arlington and Stanwood reported about 4 inches of snow by mid-morning.

The weather shut down construction work on State Avenue in Marysville, leaving road graders and other large machinery sitting idle and gathering snow. Motorists on the narrowed road — down to two lanes because of the road project — drove cautiously, leaving plenty of room between vehicles.

Damage from the storm appeared to be minimal. Even at the Edmonds Marina, where heavy snow in 1996 caused roofs to collapse damaging 300 boats and causing $15 million in damage. Rebuilt roofs — now more slanted to let snow slide off — easily withstood the storm.

None of the four hospitals in Snohomish County reported a large number of additional emergency room patients related to the snow.

"We have had three falls from slipping on ice," including a wrist fracture, said Martha Dankers of Valley General Hospital in Monroe.

Providence Everett Medical Center, Snohomish County’s largest hospital, prepared by renting two sport utility vehicles on Monday.

Two drivers trained in hazardous driving picked up employees from all corners of the county, said Cheri Russum, hospital spokeswoman.

Work was on many people’s minds. Some businesses closed for the day, as did federal offices and campuses at Everett and Edmonds community colleges and the University of Washington in Bothell.

Everett Mall closed at 2 p.m.; Alderwood Mall closed at 4 p.m.

At Home Depot off 205th Street just southwest of Edmonds, customers loaded up on sand, propane heaters, firewood, rock salt, shovels and foam pipe covers. "We’re selling out of everything," People are really worried," said deliveryman Dale Hartley of Everett.

Buses also were working hard, as people who did have to get to work tried to find someone else to do the driving. Community Transit prepared by putting chains on the buses. But the snow didn’t come as early as expected, so they took them off — only to put them back on again once the storm hit.

Around 6:30 a.m., Teri Arguello of Marysville was seated on the new Sounder train at Everett Station. She decided to take the train mainly because of the snow.

"Being from the East Coast, this is nothing for me," she said. But she didn’t want to risk her new 2004 Chevy Tahoe. "I don’t want anybody to run into it."

Most private and public schools in Snohomish County canceled classes, except for the districts in Arlington, Darrington, Stanwood and Index, where snow is no stranger.

"We’ve seen it before up here," said Randy Swenson, Darrington’s superintendent.

Each snowflake that fell stole a little time from Marysville School District students. The 49-day strike at the beginning of the school year resulted in a revised school schedule that was set to keep students in class until July 16. Tuesday’s snow day pushed the end of the year to July 17.

"Right now it’s kind of nice because I like the snow," said Jordan Weishaar, a Marysville-Pilchuck High School junior. "But when July comes around, I’ll probably regret it."

The snow and frigid weather added to the stress at local emergency shelters during what is traditionally their busiest season.

"We are completely full and … extended beyond our normal capacity," said Chris Brandt, director of family and support services for Volunteers of America.

Women and children have been sleeping on sofas and floors with blankets and sleeping bags at their Everett Gospel Mission shelter. "We don’t turn anybody away when it’s this cold," said Silvia Anderson, who runs the shelter.

At Stevens Pass on Tuesday, the high temperature was in the low single digits. The pass received only a couple inches of snow by the afternoon, but was expecting several more inches Tuesday night, said Chester Marler of Stevens Pass ski area.

Not many skiers were braving the frigid slopes. "They’re probably concerned about driving," he said.

Herald reporters Victor Balta, Brian Kelly, Cathy Logg, Scott Morris, Yoshiaki Nohara, Scott North, David Olson, Sharon Salyer, Katherine Schiffner, Lukas Velush, Jennifer Warnick and Andrew Wineke contributed to this story.