Icy roads, power outages cause school delays and cancellations in Spokane, Kootenai counties

Several school districts in the Inland Northwest have delayed or canceled school Thursday because of icy road conditions.

The Washington State Patrol reports that roads are particularly treacherous north of Spokane. WSP trooper Jeff Sevigney said “multiple crashes are being worked on in pretty much every highway in northern Spokane County and south Stevens County.”

He said there is ice on most of the northern county roads, and while there are multiple slide offs, no serious injuries have been reported. Sections of Interstate 90 had slide offs as well, which has backed up traffic in some areas.

“Folks are just driving too fast on the ice,” he said.

Roads are also icy in residential areas, though most city arterials should be bare and wet.

The Spokane area experienced light showers Wednesday evening, with slightly more rain falling in north of Spokane and in Northern Idaho, according to the National Weather Service. Temperatures in the region remained above freezing.

Road temperatures, however, were below freezing, in the high 20s and lower 30s. Weather service forecaster Jon Fox said the melting snow and rain on the roads froze overnight, resulting in treacherous driving conditions, especially up north which had more precipitation.

“Once it hit the roadways, it all turns to ice,” he said.

Temperatures will remain in the high 30s today, resulting in more snow melt, Fox said. He said the region will continue to be under a flood advisory until Friday.

These Spokane County school districts are closed Thursday: Cheney and Riverside. St. George’s School also is closed.

These Spokane County school districts are delayed by two hours: Deer Park, East Valley, Great Northern, Liberty, Medical Lake, Nine Mile Falls and Reardan-Edwall.

Other Eastern Washington school districts that will be closed Thursday include: Colville, Lind-Ritzville, Mary Walker, Moses Lake, Newport and Valley.

Other Eastern Washington school districts that have two-hour delays include: Columbia, Cusick, Harrington, Inchelium, Odessa, St. John-Endicott and Sprague-Lamont.

Districts that have closed in Idaho include: Post Falls, Lakeland and St. Maries.

The delay at East Valley is related to a power outage.

As of 7:30 a.m., Avista Utilities was reporting fewer than five customers without power, and Inland Power and Light was reporting no Spokane County customers without power. Inland reported 147 customers without electricity in Whitman County and 12 in Adams County.