Accidents close I-90 as snow, cold plunge into northwestern US

Collisions forced officials to close a stretch of Interstate 90 in central Washington on Saturday as snow and cold began to invade the northwestern United States.

Washington Department of Transportation reported that westbound I-90 was closed near Ellensburg around midday Saturday, local time, “due to collisions.”

Snow had spread across Ellensburg during the morning hours prior to the accidents.

Around the same time, another stretch of the interstate was closed to westbound traffic near the summit of Snoqualmie Pass due to avalanche control.

Snow and the threat for avalanches will continue to spread across the Northwest into Sunday night.

“The snow will be long-lasting and heavy at times, especially in the northern Rockies and Cascades,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Evan Duffey said. “Drivers planning to travel through the mountain passes should prepare for shutdowns and restrictions.”

In addition to Snoqualmie Pass, other passes that can be affected include Government Camp, Santiam and Willamette in the Cascades and I-90’s Lookout Pass along the border of Montana and Idaho.

“Snow totals approaching 2 feet can be expected in the higher elevations,” Duffey said.

Slick travel may also develop along the higher stretches of I-5 in southwestern Oregon and I-84 near Meacham in the northeastern part of the state.

“Much of the Cascades and northern Rockies will see an avalanche threat develop because of the storm,” Duffey said. “The amount of snow falling means avalanches could be relatively large and bring significant energy with them.”

On Saturday, a Utah man died in an avalanche near the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in Wyoming, according to Fox13 Salt Lake City. The 30-year-old man's ski partner was not injured during the incident.

This storm will not just deliver snow to the mountains.

“In the hills around Seattle, there can be a coating to an inch down to 500 feet into Sunday morning with the highest amounts on grassy surfaces,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Jordan Root said.

In the lowest elevations, including downtown Seattle, wet snowflakes may be seen.

“If there is a low area that can see a quick coating in northern Washington it would be north of Seattle, around Everett,” Root said.

“Little, if any of the snow is expected to accumulate in downtown Seattle.”

The situation in Portland, Oregon, will be similar to Seattle.

Setting the stage for the snow is the frigid air that is also plunging in with the storm and will have a firm grip on the Northwest through at least the first half of this coming week.

The core of the arctic blast will be directed east of the Continental Divide, where temperatures on Presidents Day will be held to the single digits in Billings, Montana, on a day when highs near 40 F are more common.

To the west, highs on Monday will be held 10 to 20 degrees below normal.

Temperatures at night will challenge record lows in many communities. Another night of near-record cold may follow on Tuesday night.

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