Snow settled into ice across the North Olympic Peninsula on Thursday, and sand trucks replaced snow plows on the roads.
The National Weather Service reported Wednesday snowfall totals of six and a half inches at Sequim, three inches at Port Angeles, one inch at Forks – and less than an inch in Port Townsend.
Bill Riley, maintenance and operations superintendent in the state Department of Transportation’s Port Angeles office, said Thursday was a quiet day.
“I think we got over the hump,” said Riley.
“There’s not too much weather or road stuff.”
Riley said Wednesday’s snow had compacted on the roads until about 2 a.m. Thursday, then began freezing, which made it very difficult to remove.
“Even our liquids have a hard time working on it,” said Riley.
“Then the sun gets on it, and it gets pretty slippery.
“But we had it pretty well cleaned up (Thursday) afternoon.”
Street crews in the city of Port Angeles spent Thursday sanding and de-icing.
The icy roads prompted the Port Angeles to suspend its city garbage collections until further notice, although residents are asked to keep their carts out until they are dumped.
Waste Connections of Washington continued its recycling collection in Port Angeles on Thursday.
West Waste and Recycling in western Clallam County also continued normal operations on Thursday.
