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As blanket of white quickly fades, concerns turn to potential for black ice

By Erik Robinson
Published: February 25, 2011, 12:00am
3 Photos
Traffic flows freely on the Interstate Bridge early Thursday morning despite the snow.
Traffic flows freely on the Interstate Bridge early Thursday morning despite the snow. Photo Gallery

In frigid temperatures, freezing water pipes can be a concern. The city of Vancouver urged water customers to take steps to avoid problems by insulating pipes, allowing a trickle of water to drip from an indoor faucet when temperatures are in the teens, or opening cupboard doors under sinks in kitchens to allow more heat to reach water pipes.

Garbage collection was canceled Thursday, pushing back the normal pickup schedule by a day across Clark County. Customers missed on Thursday should put out their curbside containers today; customers who normally have their garbage picked up today should set out their containers on Saturday. Wintry conditions left many narrow side streets and outlying roads unsafe for collection trucks on Thursday morning.

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A blanket of low-elevation snow disappeared almost as quickly as it arrived on Thursday across much of Clark County.

After a flirtation with winter that closed schools on Thursday, unseasonably cold temperatures are forecast to chill Southwest Washington through Saturday. Overnight lows were expected to drop into the low 20s or upper teens Thursday night and tonight.

In frigid temperatures, freezing water pipes can be a concern. The city of Vancouver urged water customers to take steps to avoid problems by insulating pipes, allowing a trickle of water to drip from an indoor faucet when temperatures are in the teens, or opening cupboard doors under sinks in kitchens to allow more heat to reach water pipes.

Forecasters raised the possibility of black ice on area roadways.

“Anything that does remain on the roadways is probably going to freeze overnight,” said Jeremiah Pyle, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Portland.

Bands of moisture continued to circulate around Clark County on Thursday, but little additional snowfall accumulated in low-lying areas after daybreak. By that time, school superintendents had already called off classes for the day. They’ll make another call before dawn today.

Forecasters weren’t expecting much low-elevation snow to accumulate late Thursday and early today.

In Battle Ground, school administrators will assess conditions across 271 square miles — a district that covers 41 percent of Clark County’s land mass.

District spokesman Gregg Herrington said state authorities last year granted Battle Ground permission to split the district into north and south territories, allowing Superintendent Shonny Bria to cancel or delay classes in one territory while keeping classes on schedule in the other. The tool came in handy on Wednesday, when Bria delayed start times for schools drawing students from higher-elevation areas on the north end of the district. Classes started as usual for Prairie High School and its feeder schools on the south end of the district.

The snow on Thursday made it an easier call: Administrators canceled school everywhere.

“They’re not just thinking of the buses, but also kids and parents having to drive to school,” Herrington said.

The overnight arrival of snow late Wednesday and early Thursday allowed snowplow drivers with the Washington Department of Transportation ample opportunity to clear major highways before the morning commute. Likewise, county snowplows were for the most part able to keep major thoroughfares clear by using plows and a salt brine mixture to deter ice.

“This was a moderate late-season snowfall,” said Jeff Mize, spokesman for the county’s Public Works Department.

Since Wednesday night, the city of Vancouver has deployed 10 trucks equipped with de-icing brine and snowplows in rotating around-the-clock shifts.

Garbage collection was canceled Thursday, pushing back the normal pickup schedule by a day across Clark County. Customers missed on Thursday should put out their curbside containers today; customers who normally have their garbage picked up today should set out their containers on Saturday. Wintry conditions left many narrow side streets and outlying roads unsafe for collection trucks on Thursday morning.

“Even with de-icer on the streets, there’s always a potential for icy spots, especially on side streets,” said Tim Buck, an operations superintendent for the city’s Public Works Department. “Drivers should use caution on the roads and allow plows and de-icing equipment sufficient room to safely get their job done.”

Vancouver registered a high of 39 degrees on Thursday.

Low-elevation snowfall amounted to between 1 to 3 inches in Vancouver, with as much as 5 inches reported in Brush Prairie.

Pyle, the weather service forecaster, said the area will resume normal late-winter programming next week, with one rainstorm after another blowing in from the ocean beginning as early as Saturday afternoon.

“We’re going back to Portland winter next week,” Pyle said, “with frontal system after frontal system pounding into the Pacific Northwest next week.”

The forecast calls for rain and temperatures in the mid-40s to low-50s.

Erik Robinson: 360-735-4551 or erik.robinson@columbian.com.

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