Snow flurries, not snow banksFree

The long anticipated snow arrived in the Vancouver area overnight, and more is forecast to fall throughout the day Sunday.

It was 30 degrees at Vancouver’s Pearson Field at 7 a.m. Sunday, where 0.02 inch of precipitation fell as snow overnight. By 11 a.m. temperatures were above freezing, and most flurries weren’t sticking around long.

Most major roads were bare, but that could change due to the spotty nature of the snow flurries. Bridges and overpasses may be icy, especially if they refreeze later tonight.

Further snow is expected to fall off and on all day — and probably tonight — as a winter storm warning remains in effect until 4 a.m. Monday. Considerably more snow is forecast for the mountains and the Columbia River Gorge. Monday’s forecast calls for a sunbreak, but it will stay below freezing.

Although traffic was light, there were a handful of traffic accidents before dawn, including one on Interstate 5 near La Center and another near Northeast 134th Street. A few other crashes were reported throughout the day, mostly in rural areas of north Clark County, where elevations are higher. Most of the Vancouver metro area is about 200 feet of elevation or lower; Pearson Field is at 20 feet.

C-Tran has suspended use of the articulated coaches on The Vine and substituted regular buses. The Turtle Place terminus is closed; board downtown at Eighth and Washington streets. At Vancouver Mall, board at the platform for Route 72 and 74/78.

So far, only a handful of power outages have been reported to Clark Public Utilities. If your electricity goes out, call 360-992-8000 to report an outage.