SEATTLE — A storm that brought snow to the Puget Sound lowlands and mountains Monday night caused icy conditions for drivers and forced some school districts to cancel classes.
Road conditions
On Tuesday morning, most of Pierce and Thurston counties had icy roads, according to Washington State Patrol Trooper Robert Reyer. Drivers were urged to slow down and increase following distances.
Snoqualmie Pass re-opened overnight Tuesday after multiple crashes and spinouts happened along the highway during a winter storm. The road reopened just after 12:30 a.m. Tuesday, marking a closure that lasted about seven hours.
Eastbound lanes shut down around 5:30 p.m. Westbound lanes closed shortly before 8 p.m.
The closure came amid "extreme weather conditions" along Interstate 90, according to WSDOT. I-90 was closed between milepost 34 in North Bend to milepost 106 in Ellensburg.
School closings and delays
Dozens of school districts were on a delayed start Tuesday, and some canceled classes, including Kent and Puyallup.
The crashes and closures happened during a storm that brought hail and lowland snow to parts of the Puget Sound region.
It all started late Monday afternoon with an unstable air mass tracking over western Washington, leading to storms to pop up within a few heavier showers.
Lowland snow developed as colder air settled across Puget Sound. The main timing of the snow started around 5 p.m. Monday and lasts until 10 p.m.
Showers are expected to end mid-morning Tuesday. Skies will be mostly sunny and temperatures will be cooler with highs in the low to mid-40s.
Watch: Tracking chances of snow
