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Wind, snow
and ice combined to make roads hazardous Wednesday night and
Thursday morning as temperatures plunged below freezing and snow
turned portions of roads into black ice.
Clark County
Sheriff’s Sgt. Craig Hogman said the roads have tuned into a
“skating rink just about everywhere go.”
Several
accidents have been reported on Interstate 5 and many side roads
along East County have abandoned cars on the side of the road.
Cecillie
Truitt, 32, of Camas, drove home from her bus depot at a
cautious 25 miles per hour as she saw cars running off the road.
“Then when I
got to my street, at the base of Prune Hill, the road was
closed,” she said. “Cars were sliding down the hill, and I was
afraid one of them would hit me. It was scary.”
During snow
and icy conditions, people need to slow down, Hogman said.
Experts
advise people to drive slower than normal and sometimes shift to
a lower gear when driving around corners or when coming to a
stop. DO NOT brake hard, they advise, as that could create an
accident.
According to
the National Weather Service, four to five inches of snow was
reported at Prune Hill, and in areas that are 900 to 1,000 feet
above sea level.
Accuweather.com forecasts more incoming arctic air with temps in
the low-20s expected for several days. Icy roads are expected
for Thursday morning commutes, and many school districts, such
as Washougal, Battle Ground and Green Mountain, are having late
starts today. |
