BOISE, Idaho — Allow for extra driving time and take care on the roads this Wednesday. Snow has left highways around southwest Idaho and eastern Oregon slick, leading to several crashes.
Several school districts have canceled or delayed the start of classes Wednesday. Vallivue, Homedale and Marsing were among those announcing closures. The nearby Caldwell and Nampa school districts are continuing classes and other activities as scheduled, as are Boise, West Ada and Kuna, but Caldwell and Nampa public school officials warned that morning busses might be a little late.
Following the morning commute, the Ada County Sheriff's Office reported that dispatchers took reports of 24 car or truck crashes and five slide-offs.
"Despite over two inches of snow greeting Ada County drivers this morning, they did a decent job avoiding crashes," the sheriff's office remarked on Twitter.
Here's a sampling of what crews were dealing with on surface streets, I-84, the I-184 Connector and associated ramps in Ada and Canyon counties at 8:45 a.m.:
- Glenwood Street southbound at Chinden - one lane blocked.
- Westbound I-84 at Orchard Street - on shoulder
- Westbound I-184 near Emerald - blocking one lane and shoulder (Cleared 8:37 a.m.
- Westbound I-84 near Broadway - on shoulder.
- Eastbound I-84 just east of Exit 36 (Franklin Boulevard) - on shoulder.
- Ten Mile Road ramp to westbound I-84 - on shoulder. (Cleared 8:45 a.m.)
- A crash on northbound Cole Road at the westbound I-84 ramp; one lane blocked.
- A crash on eastbound I-84 just east of the Vista interchange was blocking one lane.
- Westbound I-84 near Meridian Road - cleared at 8:37 a.m.
- A crash just before 6:30 a.m. blocked all lanes of Hubbard Road just west of Meridian Road near Kuna. It was cleared before 7:30.
Interstate 84 had snow on the roadway in many places, slush in others, early Wednesday morning.
A couple of highway closures reported by the Idaho Transportation Department remained in effect Wednesday morning: US 20 from Mountain Home to Fairfield because of blowing, drifing snow and reduced visibility; and US 26 between Carey and Arco.
The Carey-Arco route reopened at 12:15 p.m. Wednesday.
A 20-mile stretch of US 95 that runs through Jordan Valley, Oregon, shut down late Tuesday night because of multiple crashes; it reopened mid-morning Wednesday, but a severe weather hazard warning is still posted for the area -- chains are required, the Oregon Department of Transportation reports. Interstate 84 through eastern Oregon remains open, but a severe weather hazard is posted at the Baker Valley reporting station near Baker City because of snow.
Blowing, drifting snow Tuesday in eastern Idaho obliterated visibility on many roads, and prompted the closure of Idaho highway 33 from Newdale to Tetonia and highway 32 between Ashton and Tetonia. Those closures remain in effect Wednesday morning.
This story will be updated through the morning as conditions and other developments warrant.
Snowy morning in Treasure Valley
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