Chaos reigned across Western Washington as an overnight snowstorm wreaked havoc on the power grid and rendered the roads nigh impassable, stranding drivers and plunging tens of thousands into darkness. According to KIRO 7, Thursday morning saw approximately 49,000 customers without electricity, mainly scattered through Kitsap, Pierce, and Thurston counties. This power outage threw residents into a standstill, closing schools and delaying the opening of government offices.
The onslaught of nature brought down trees laden with snow, as one Trooper Katherine Weatherwax told KIRO 7, subsequently toppling power lines in Kitsap County. Amid the treacherous conditions, about 50 cars were ensnared in a ditch off the southbound lanes of Interstate 5 near Olympia, trapping unwary motorists in the icy grip of a Western Washington winter. Despite lanes reopening, authorities warned of continued risks, with vehicles still spinning out on the slick freeways.
Meanwhile, Puget Sound Energy reported more than 30,000 customers without power concentrated around Olympia and stretched across Thurston County, as well as certain areas of the peninsula, as US Times Post revealed. The outages spanned Bremerton, Poulsbo, and Gig Harbor, with Peninsula Light Co. tallying over 6,000 outages, most of which afflicted residents on the Key Peninsula.
In Olympia, the state capital was blanketed with one to three inches of wet, slushy snow, as caught on camera by KING 5. Despite snowy streets, Interstate 5 held up better than expected, while state routes suffered from downed power lines and toppled trees, hampering early morning commutes. Washington State Patrol Trooper John Dattilo remarked to KING 5 that officers were on their toes throughout the night, aiding drivers caught in the snow's sudden onslaught on I-5 and HWY 101.
Several school districts across the impacted counties opted for delay, waiting for the roads to clear and power to be restored. However, relief seems imminent as the National Weather Service forecasts an end to the snowfall by late Thursday morning, with drier conditions anticipated for the region come evening, ushering in a calmer end to a day marked by disruption and the struggle against winter's might.
