SEATTLE – At least an inch of snow had been on the ground in the Seattle area since the evening of Jan. 10, making this the longest period in more than a decade that snow has stayed continuously on the ground, said Johnny Burg, a National Weather Service meteorologist.

The last time snow lingered on the ground in Seattle for more than a couple days was in January 1996, when snow stuck around for four days, Burg said.

Snow and ice also was blamed for one fatal crash and five traffic-related injuries Tuesday in the Yakima Valley, east of the Cascade Range, and the cold weather figured in the death of a boy who fell through the ice on Martha Lake.

John R. Kroll, 41, of Selah, died when the 1982 Chevrolet pickup he was driving collided head-on with a 1994 Honda Accord that had crossed the median on Interstate 82, state troopers said. The pickup then spun into a 2000 Ford Explorer and overturned, throwing Kroll from the vehicle.

About 35 miles east of Seattle, a 30-vehicle pileup Tuesday morning on I-90 included a tractor-trailer rig that jackknifed and collided with a State Patrol car, closing the westbound lanes for five hours east of North Bend, trooper Jeffery Merrill said. Conditions in the area included gusty winds, blowing snow and compact snow and ice on the road.

The trooper was unhurt and only minor injuries to other motorists were reported.