Snow, Icy Rain To Hit Area Motorists Are Advised To Proceed With Caution

As much as 3 inches of snow and freezing rain could make driving hairy and scary in parts of the Inland Northwest.

“If they use caution and don’t go too fast,” drivers will be all right, said Dave Marchant of the Idaho Transportation Department. But if drivers take turns like James Bond in his Z3, the road can feel like an oil slick.

The National Weather Service issued winter weather advisories for Eastern Washington and North Idaho late Saturday, warning of precipitation and freezing weather through this morning.

At 8 p.m. Saturday, a storm was moving east from the coast. Blowing snow made for poor visibility along Interstate 90 through Washington’s Snoqualmie Pass.

As much as 10 inches of snow was expected by this morning in the Olympics and Cascades.

Snow or freezing rain should decrease by this afternoon. Highs today will be in the mid-30s with lows in the mid-20s.

Thanks to all the snow, the Snoqualmie Pass ski operation opened Friday - 24 days earlier than last year. Downhill skiing at White Pass and Crystal Mountain also started Friday. Stevens Pass and Mount Baker opened earlier in the week.

The highs in those areas were in the midteens Saturday, with traction tires being advised in most areas.

On Monday, partly cloudy skies are expected throughout the region. Spokane temperatures should be in the mid-30s. North Idaho should be in the upper 20s, with a slight chance of precipitation in Shoshone County.

State police in Washington and Idaho reported no major accidents Saturday.

In North Idaho, roads were slicker. “Most of them are pretty icy,” Marchant said. “We’ve still got some broken snow floors and icy spots.”

State Highway 97 in Idaho is closed from I-90 to Harrison to all but residents of the area.

“All along 97 there are trees,” Marchant said. Crews have been clearing out fallen branches as soon as they find them.

Authorities also worry that cars may snag low-hanging power lines, knocking out more power. “We have enough problems with power,” Marchant said.

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: ROAD INFO For phone numbers to get information about road conditions in the region, please see page A2.

The following fields overflowed: BYLINE = Ward Sanderson Staff writer The Associated Press contributed to this report.