One more day of caution: Authorities warn of possibility of black ice

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, February 8, 2017

PORT ANGELES — Authorities hope drivers continue to drive cautiously even as the snowstorm that hit the North Olympic Peninsula relents.

“You’re going to find when it’s obviously icy and snowy, things aren’t that bad,” said Undersheriff Ron Cameron with the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office. “Then when it dries up, we start getting accidents.”

Forecasters expect the Peninsula to warm up Thursday, but that doesn’t mean all the ice will melt.

“We might have to put up with this for one more day,” Cameron said. “With the melt, watch for shady spots. There could still be black ice out there.”

Cameron said no reports of wrecks caused by snow and ice were reported to the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday. There were traffic hazards reported on state Highway 112 by Joyce, likely downed tree branches, he said.

In Brinnon, which was apparently the community hardest hit in East Jefferson County, no wrecks were reported Tuesday despite 6 inches of snow still on the ground, said Chief Tim Manly of Jefferson County Fire District No. 4.

“It’s kind of surprising,” he said. “Thanks to everyone being safe and driving careful.”

The National Weather Service received reports of between 3 and 6 inches in most places on the Peninsula, said NWS meteorologist Gary Schneider.

The highest amount of snow reported to the weather service during the storm was 6.5 inches about 3 miles south of Port Angeles. Readers have said they received more than a foot in some areas.

Snow likely won’t stick around too long, Schneider said, because the weather service expects temperatures of upward of 50 degrees Thursday, along with some rain.

Schneider said he wouldn’t be surprised if there were some snow flurries today across the Peninsula, but said it shouldn’t stick.

The snow caused some trees to fall early Tuesday morning, blocking U.S. Highway 101 westbound at milepost 236.

The trees fell at about 2:31 a.m. and were cleared by 3:14 a.m., according to the state Department of Transportation.

Port Angeles and Sequim public school districts both opted to start classes two hours late Tuesday.

One Port Angeles School District bus bound for Dry Creek Elementary ended up in a ditch Tuesday morning. No one was hurt and no damage was reported to the bus, said Tina Smith-O’Hara, district spokesperson.

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Reporter Jesse Major can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56250, or at jmajor@peninsuladailynews.com.