Snow Takes Aim at South County; County Crews Continue Clearing Roads

Editor's note: The following information is from the office of Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon.

Snow Wednesday morning hit farther south than anticipated, alleviating some of the expected accumulations toward north Snohomish County.

East and south Snohomish County, however, were still expected to receive between 3 and 8 inches Wednesday, as well as windy conditions, before warmer temperatures surfaces Thursday.

County offices are open Wednesday except for the Evergreen and Cascade divisions of Snohomish County District Court. Transfer stations are also open, yet all local trash and recycling haulers had suspended service. Parks facilities such as the Evergreen State Fairgrounds and Willis Tucker are closed to the public Wednesday, and all meetings canceled.

“We still expect difficult driving conditions throughout parts of Snohomish County,” said Reardon. “Stay warm and be careful if you must travel.”

Road crews continued to tackle snow on main and secondary streets. By Wednesday morning, more than 8,000 miles of roadway lanes had been cleared and as mush as 2,700 tons of sand applied. About 40 trucks have been on the roads since snow began falling Saturday.

The county has information on road closures, as well as snow removal updates.

Additional crews have been removing downed trees, and more tree limbs were expected to impact roads throughout the day.
 
“The increased snow and ice combined with the wind can make for dangerous situations,” said Steve Thomsen, the county’s Public Works director. “We’re making every effort to eliminate these risks.”

Road issues can be reported by calling 425-388-7500 or emailing contact.pwrm@snoco.org.

Crews rremain on duty until roads are clear and temperatures warm. As temperatures return to normal, heavy melting and possible urban flooding are to be expected, especially in south Snohomish County, officials say.

Homeowners of flat-topped structures should take steps to safely remove snow from   their roofs. Other winter preparedness tips can be found at takewinterbystorm.org.