SPOKANE, Wash. — As winter weather rolls in, roads will be slicker in the Inland Northwest. Wednesday’s first snow was a radical change from the 70 degree weather just a few days earlier.
The Washington State Highway Patrol (WSP) told NonStop Local that collision rates do increase in the winter.
“Drivers need to understand that those temperatures change very quickly in the Inland Northwest. And…rule of thumb is if you had to go out and you had to scrape your windows, that ice is going to accumulate on the roadway.
There were very few crashes Wednesday, but nothing serious. Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) told NonStop Local that there is the potential for black ice in some areas.
“If you’re driving later on this [Wednesday] evening or tomorrow [Thursday] morning, and you don’t see that it’s raining or snowing… know some spots could be icy. But we do have crews out and about that are treating those roadways with deicer,” Joe McHale, Public Information Officer for WSDOT said.
Donna Herrin, an Idaho resident, said that the roads weren’t too slick but that drivers were taking it slow.
“[drivers were] a lot slower… and more cautious,” Herrin said.
“I was in shorts last week. It’s a little shocking,” Darral Moore, a Tri-Cities resident visiting Spokane, said.
Moore drove to Spokane Wednesday morning and told NonStop Local drivers were going slower. However, road conditions, were manageable.
