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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Snow sure piled up

Plows reach residential areas; gusty winds forecast for today

From Staff Reports

Friday morning began with school closures and power outages after a record-setting snowfall on Thursday and ended with freezing rain causing havoc on roadways across the region.

Jackknifed semitrucks blocked traffic on Highway 2 near Airport Road west of Spokane and on Interstate 90 at the Broadway Avenue exit Friday evening, with the I-90 accident causing the truck’s fuel tank to rupture. Emergency crews also responded to an eight-vehicle accident on Trent Avenue and Fancher Road.

Many cities around the Inland Northwest saw record snowfall for Jan. 19, including Spokane, with 6 inches at Spokane International Airport, tying a record set in 1950. Other records were set in Mullan, Idaho, (6.7 inches); Wenatchee (5.3 inches) and Ritzville (6 inches).

Spokane Public Schools canceled classes Friday, as did the Mead, Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls districts. Other districts opened two hours late to accommodate bus delays.

By Friday afternoon the city of Spokane had completed clearing hilly residential routes and headed into flatter sections of town, city spokeswoman Marlene Feist said in a news release.

Residential plowing began as a result of the stage 2 snow emergency declared Thursday evening.

Under the rules for snow emergencies, cars can’t be parked along arterials, except in downtown, where cars can’t be parked between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. In residential neighborhoods, cars must be parked on the side of the street with odd-numbered addresses.

Those who violate the parking rules could face a $30 ticket, though city officials have said they are likely to avoid ticketing during the response to the most recent storm.

Spokane Valley expected to have plowing finished by Sunday afternoon.

The National Weather Service issued a wind alert for the Spokane region for this morning, with 45 mph gusts expected.