Even as a white Christmas Eve turned to late-night slush, a wintry weather front shifted gears and began dumping freezing rain into the Vancouver area.
The National Weather Service has extended its winter weather advisory through 10 a.m. Christmas Day, at which time temperatures should finally warm above freezing and make it safer to go over the river to Grandma’s house.
But maybe not through the woods. Winter weather will linger in the Columbia River Gorge. It was also snowing north of Vancouver, and in many Pacific Northwest communities. If you’re heading out, check the forecast at weather.gov and Washington State Department of Transportation webcams.
“Do not travel today unless absolutely necessary,” the weather service advised.
Christmas Eve’s weather was a roller coaster. The day started above freezing, and mostly dry, but then turned to freezing rain, then to snow, then back to freezing rain.
With the wintry weather came the usual fender-bender accidents and traffic slowdowns as people tried to travel for the holiday. Slick conditions will persist overnight.
Fire and law enforcement personnel responded to dozens of crash calls around Clark County, including including a non-injury crash where a car drove into an Orchards apartment building.
The crash was reported around 1:30 p.m., after a car went off the road near 11800 NE 124th Ave. and buried itself in the building, Clark County sheriff’s Sgt. Tom Dennison said.
“It took out a pretty good size post,” Dennison said.
Fire officials were still working that afternoon to determine whether the building was safe to inhabit.
No one was hurt, he said.
No citations had been issued, as it was unclear that afternoon what led to the crash, and whether it was entirely weather-related.
“It certainly didn’t help. It was during the heavy snow,” Dennison said.
