SALON

Tuesday, Nov 23, 2010 4:44 PM UTC

Northwest freezes as rare blizzard roars through

Three deaths blamed on storm so far; tens of thousands are without power in Washington region

By

Topics: Snow Storms,

Northwest freezes as rare blizzard roars throughFrom left, William Gordon, Jessica Fuller and Howie West, make use of alternate forms of transportation after South Ninth Street became unsafe for many vehicles in downtown Tacoma, Wash., Monday, Nov. 22, 2010. A few minutes earlier the Pierce Transit bus, background, slid into a pickup truck. People in most of Eastern Washington were told Monday to prepare for a rare blizzard as the first severe storm of the winter blasted through the state, though weather officials said it was too early to tell if the rough weather would affect Thanksgiving holiday travel later in the week. (AP Photo/The News Tribune, Janet Jensen)(Credit: AP)

A vicious storm struck the Pacific Northwest and other western states at the start of the holiday travel season, dumping heavy snow on roads, knocking out power to tens of thousands of people and causing a cargo plane to overshoot its runway in Seattle.

At least three deaths have been blamed on the storm, including a man struck and killed outside his car Monday night on snowy Interstate 5 in Tacoma. Washington State Patrol Trooper Brandy Kessler said it wasn’t clear whether the man was chaining up his car or pushing it when he was hit.

Blowing snow, slick roads and temperatures in the mid-20s turned the Monday evening commute in the Puget Sound region into an hours-long crawl — for those who made it home. Some commuters gave up after being stuck for five hours or more and returned to their offices or just left their cars at the side of the road.

Snow and blizzard warnings across Washington and Idaho’s Panhandle were ending Tuesday morning, but frigid air will drop Tuesday night to the single digits in Western Washington and as much as 15 degrees below zero in Eastern Washington, the National Weather Service said.

Seattle was among the warmest spots in the state Tuesday morning at 22 degrees, while Spokane was in the single digits and some spots in northcentral Washington remained below zero.

Seattle’s morning rush hour wasn’t, with few cars on the icy roads and motorists keeping it slow. Most schools in the state were closed or delayed and the University of Washington closed all three of its campuses. Snowplows and deicing trucks were at work across the state.

Elsewhere in the West, the weather service issued a blizzard warning for Utah amid forecasts of strong winds, heavy snow and possible whiteout conditions Tuesday night. Searchers will brave an icy blast of winter when they resume the search of a rugged canyon near Moab for a man believed to have shot a Utah park ranger last week.

Temperatures dipped to freezing in the Portland, Ore., area on Monday as homeless people lined up at emergency warming shelters.

Portland got a dusting of snow Monday evening but the outlook for Tuesday was just chilly — with a forecast high of 30 degrees, National Weather Service meteorologist Russ Willis said.

Oregon State Police said heavy snow, high winds and limited visibility caused numerous commercial trucks to jackknife Monday in the area around Mount Hood. KGW-TV said sections of Oregon Highway 26 were closed intermittently.

Troopers also reported at least a dozen crashes Monday on Santiam Pass in Oregon’s central Cascades.

Forecasters predict up to 14 inches of snow in northcentral Idaho as a powerful storm closed schools and shut down sections of highways. The Idaho State Police says all roads in Bingham County in eastern Idaho are closed and the agency is urging motorists across the state to stay off roads slick with ice and snow.

At Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, a China Airlines Boeing 747 cargo plane landing in snowy conditions Monday afternoon overshot its runway stopping point. No injuries were reported, airport spokeswoman Terri-Ann Betancourt said. The plane overshot the runway’s designated stopping point by about 100 feet but still stopped on concrete in the runway’s safety area, she said.

A record 2.5 inches of snow fell at Sea-Tac Airport on Monday, the Weather Service said. The old record for the date was 1.5 inches set in 1977.

Sea-Tac Airport was keeping runways and taxiways clear, said spokesman Perry Cooper.

“It’s nothing we can’t handle,” he said. “We’ve been through this before.”

Transportation Department sanding trucks were blocked overnight in many parts of the Seattle area by cars that were abandoned or wrecked. Drivers and bus riders were urged to stay home Tuesday until conditions improve, and 14 bus routes were canceled due to icy roads and abandoned cars.

Winds gusting to 65 mph made matters worst by cutting off power Monday for tens of thousands of utility customers in Western Washington. Puget Sound Energy said most of its 90,000 outages were in Kitsap County. That number was down to 64,000 by 6 a.m. Tuesday, but spokeswoman Gretchen Aliabadi couldn’t say when everyone would have their power turned back on.

Two people were killed Monday when the car they were in slid on a snowy road at Cowiche near Yakima and collided with another car, the State Patrol said. In Tacoma, a Pierce County Transit bus slid down a steep hill and overturned with about 20 people were aboard on Monday. Twelve were taken to hospitals, but no serious injuries were reported.

Temperatures should start to moderate Wednesday and there’s a chance of rain on Thanksgiving Day in Western Washington, although it could start as snow. Eastern Washington temperatures are forecast to remain well below freezing into the weekend, forecasters said.

——

Associated Press photographer Ted Warren in Tacoma and writers Phuong Le and Donna Gordon Blankinship in Seattle and Nicholas K. Geranios in Spokane contributed to this report.

More George Tibbits.

Next Article

Related Stories

More Related Stories

Featured Slide Shows

Mobile Entertainment: 9 Amazing Drive-In Movie Theaters Still Standing

close X
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 11
  • Two-for-one for Everyone — West Wind Solano Twin Drive-In, Concord, Calif.
    This family-friendly attraction with several spots across the U.S. (including California, Nevada and Arizona) prides itself on offering first-run double features (save for premiere events) on the cheap — which is quite the deal, considering their 65-foot screens are among the biggest in the biz. And if you have great car speakers, even better: squawk boxes of old have been replaced with Dolby quality audio piped through your car’s FM stereo.

    Image credit: J.D.S. via Shutterstock
    westwinddriveins.com

  • For the Four-legged Friendly — Warwick Drive-In, Warwick, N.Y.
    Northeast city slickers looking for a place to watch their favorite movie stars under the stars need only veer six miles east of Vernon, N.J. What began as a family affair in 1950 has since become a seasonal institution offering rural and urban (and pet!) audiences two movies for the price of one on any of its three giant screens.

    Image credit: Getty
    warwickdrivein.com

  • See Stars Collide — Ford-Wyoming Drive-In, Dearborn, Mich.
    Open year-round (unlike many of its surviving contemporaries), this five-screen staple of the Midwest known as the “largest drive-in in the world” plays host for up to 3,000 cars on any given night. And if the double-feature doesn’t hold your attention, relax; you’ve got the best (car)seat in the house for the occasional overhead meteor shower.

    Image credit: waymarking.com
    waymarking.com

  • A Hole (Lot of Fun) in One — Wellfleet Drive-In, Wellfleet, Mass.
    Built in 1957 and still offering original mono sound boxes for those looking for an authentic experience (or not, as FM stereo is available as well), the summer-exclusive theater hosts double features of first-runs on its giant 100’ x 44’ screen. Come for the movies, stay for the mini-golf and flea market (on select days).

    Image credit: Getty
    wellfleetcinemas.com

  • Go Big or Drive Home — Bengies Drive-In, Baltimore, Md.
    The only thing bigger than Bengies’ prolific history (57 years and going) is its main attraction — boasting the biggest theater screen in the U.S. at 6,240 square feet. That’s 52’ x 120’ of pure anamorphic presentation. Complementing its time capsule of a snack bar (unchanged since ’56), previews old and new occupy the venue’s old-timey intermissions between features.

    Image credit: Getty
    bengies.com

  • Proof That Film is Forever — Shankweilers, Orefield, Pa.
    While we’re on superlative street, consider stopping at this roadside treasure: America’s oldest drive-in. Operating since 1934, it may not have the frills and pony rides of nearby Becky’s Drive-In, but it’s defied hurricanes and the wear and tear of time. Worth the one-hour drive from Philly.

    Image credit: Getty
    shankweilers.com


  • The Gritty Hollywood Reboot — Corral Drive-In, Guymon, Okla.
    Like a slasher movie menace that died (several times) in the ’80s only to be rebooted years after, the long-vacant Corral Drive-In was resurrected and restored in 2009, providing big entertainment at a nominal fee. And if the $6 adult admission doesn’t make you feel like a kid again, the venue’s inflatable bouncers most definitely will.

    Image credit: Getty
    corraldrivein.com

  • Hop the Healthy Highway — Delsea Drive-In, Vineland, N.J.
    Less than an hour’s trip from Atlantic City, New Jersey’s only drive-in offers the best of both worlds — old school aesthetic outfitted with modern tech and healthier food choices to boot. Open seasonally, with first features beginning around dusk.

    Image credit: Getty
    delseadrive-in.com

  • Bring Your Backyard to the Big Screen — Starlight Six Drive-In, Atlanta, Ga.
    As much a backdoor barbecue as it is a night out at the movies, this six-screen Atlanta drive-in encourages what most in the theater biz forbid: bringing your own food and grilling it. Those looking to add a hip twist of the theatrical to their Labor Day getaway need only stock the cooler and pack some brats or burgers for the Starlight’s annual “Drive-Invasion,” which features a hot-rod show, live music, and B-movies galore.

    Image credit: yelp/ivan.s.
    starlightdrivein.com

  • And really, what better way is there to cruise the nostalgia highway of old Hollywood than in a MINI Roadster? Allowing all the headroom one needs to see the stars on the screen and those directly above, the 2013 convertible goes the distance where it counts — on the road (obviously), not to mention the discerning driver’s wallet. Never mind that its fun-size frame also makes motoring in and out of tight traffic all the more enjoyable (or parking in even tighter spots for cozy romantics all the more convenient).

    Image credit: miniusa.com

  • Recent Slide Shows

  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 11

Related Videos

Comments

 10 Comments

Comment Preview

Your name will appear as username

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href=""> <b> <em> <strong> <i> <blockquote>

follow salon

Most Read

Popular on Reddit

links from salon.com

From Around the Web

Presented by Scribol
listener_new_rect The Listener: Chekhov's story mirrors Russia's own

Recommendations