Slow thaw could begin Friday afternoon

Roads are slick again Friday after low temperatures dropped into the 20s for much of Clark County. The snow that fell Wednesday is not going away fast. Call it a slow thaw as temperatures are expected to rise above the freezing level Friday afternoon. That snow has turned into packed ice on many of the area roadways. Photo by Andi Schwartz — Roads are slick again Friday after low temperatures dropped into the 20s for much of Clark County. The snow that fell Wednesday is not going away fast. Call it a slow thaw as temperatures are expected to rise above the freezing level Friday afternoon. That snow has turned into packed ice on many of the area roadways. This photo was taken Thursday morning in east Vancouver. Photo by Andi Schwartz

Most schools opted to remain closed Friday with freezing temperatures and icy roads

Paul Valencia
ClarkCountyToday.com

A couple of area school districts opened Friday after a delay, but most of the districts in Clark County called off school due to icy conditions on the side roads and low temperatures during the early morning commute.

Woodland schools opened its doors after a 2-hour delay. Ridgefield opened after a 3-hour delay.

North of Clark County, Kalama was on a 2-hour delay while Longview and Kelso schools were on schedule but with buses on snow routes.

The more north, the easier it is to travel.

As far as much of Clark County, side streets are still packed with ice after Wednesday’s surprise snowfall. Again, snow was in the forecast, but the surprise was the amount of snow. The National Weather Service updated its numbers. Some parts of Washougal recorded 18 inches of snow. Downtown Vancouver had just less than 5 inches of snow. While Vancouver Mall had 8.5 inches of snow.

While many of the busiest roads and freeways were plowed or treated, all of the wet pavement froze overnight. Many side roads — where school buses go to pick up children — were not plowed. Many of those streets are now packed with ice.

Temperatures fell into the low to mid 20s throughout Clark County, with wind chills into the teens. Many school administrators opted for another day off rather than have children outside, waiting for buses in those conditions.

Friday’s forecast, according to KATU TV in Portland, calls for temperatures to rise above freezing, but not by much. Saturday’s highs are expected to get to near 40 degrees. The thaw will be slow.

Battle Ground High School, closed for students on Friday, will open its gym for the state basketball tournament. The school is hosting two games Friday night. While conditions were too dangerous in the early morning hours, it is expected that main roads will be clear by the afternoon.

The city of Vancouver opened for business at 10 a.m. Friday. Fort Vancouver Regional Libraries are expected to open at 11 a.m. Friday.

C-TRAN buses are running but with significant changes to its normal routes. For more information, go to: https://c-tran.com/