Weather cuts power, closes routes

Fri., Feb. 8, 2008

Staff and Wire Reports The Spokesman-Review

Heavy snow and high winds closed major highways throughout the region Thursday. The harsh weather temporarily knocked out power to several thousand customers.

The National Weather Service issued an unusual blizzard warning for the north and central Cascades. The warning expired Thursday afternoon, but a winter storm warning was in effect through this afternoon with 1 to 2 feet of new snow forecast for those mountains.

An avalanche late Thursday afternoon swept through an area northwest of Leavenworth, knocking a large vacation home off its foundation and demolishing it. Chelan County Sheriff Mike Harum said no one was in the house and there were no injuries.

Blowing and drifting snow closed sections of U.S. Highway 2 in Eastern Washington for several hours Thursday morning near Davenport in Lincoln County and at Airway Heights, the Transportation Department said.

Blowing snow also briefly closed several Eastern Washington highways near Pullman, the Washington State Patrol and Washington Department of Transportation reported. State Route 25 was closed Thursday night from Jantz Road to Tickle Hills Road in Lincoln County; SR 272 was closed from Colfax to Palouse; SR 23 is closed from Harrington to Sprague; SR 231 is closed from SR 23 West to U.S. 2.

Highway officials expected U.S. 195 from Rosalia to Spangle to reopen no sooner than early today.

Interstate 90 through Snoqualmie Pass, U.S. 2 through Stevens Pass and U.S. 12 through White Pass were closed intermittently because of avalanche control, spontaneous snowslides or heavy snow and limited visibility, for a time leaving state Route 14 through the Columbia River Gorge as the state’s only east-west route.

I-90 was later reopened, but authorities warned it could be closed again because of the treacherous avalanche conditions and foul weather. Stevens Pass reopened at noon after a 7 1/2-hour closure. White Pass remained closed late Thursday.

In Idaho, Sections of U.S. Highway 95 and U.S. Highway 12 also were closed. The National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings Thursday in the Sawtooth Mountains and Big and Little Wood River valleys.

The Idaho Transportation Department closed a 37-mile stretch of Highway 75 between Shoshone and Bellevue. In the southeast section, portions of Interstate 15 and sections of U.S. Highways 20 and 26 are shut down.

Spokane-based Avista Utilities said it was restoring power to about 2,317 customers who lost electricity because of high winds. Most were in the Lewiston-Clarkston area.

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