TRI-CITIES, Wash. – The snow has come and gone in our area, but the passes are still dealing with heavy snow. Summer Derrey of the Washington State Department of Transportation said that the first snowstorm of the season happened this weekend, so now is an excellent time to get in the mindset of driving in the snow.
Derrey said WSDOT prepares for winter storms all year.
“The process for preparing for storms is one, anticipating it and two, making sure we had appropriate staffing and increasing resources available for that storm,” said Derrey.
According to Derrey, WSDOT lays down de-icer on the highways and problem areas before the weather hits. Derrey said WSDOT is fully staffed in the wintertime and runs what she said is a hot seat. This is where every single piece of equipment is operated at all times. She said it was a good first weekend for their preparation, but it came with some accidents.
“Conditions were icy and so it’s very difficult to travel in icy conditions,” said Derrey. “If the temperature is 32 degrees or below, there’s likely to be ice on the road wherever you are.”
Washington State Patrol Trooper Chris Thorson said WSP saw its share of weather-related accidents on the roads in the Tri-City and Yakima areas.
“We saw wrecks in Yakima, Sunnyside and Grandview,” Thorson said. “The most we saw were in the Tri-City region, which had 16 in a matter of a few hours on Friday Morning.”
Trooper Thorson said luckily, none of the collisions were severe.
According to Trooper Thorson, the WSP tried to get ahead of the snow by ensuring people know how to drive in these conditions.
Trooper Thorson said that even though the snow is gone for now, he still asks drivers to pay attention on the road.
In Oregon, Umatilla Fire District 1 posted on social media that it responded to three accidents because of the snow.
Derrey said if you’re planning on traveling through any of the passes, make sure you have a good car kit to keep you comfortable and have chains for your tires ready.
Derrey said you can always check the pass conditions before you travel, and in Oregon, you can check Trip Check.
