Morning snowstorm causes crashes on I-90

COEUR d’ALENE — A blizzard that dropped nearly 5 inches of snow on the Coeur d’Alene area in about four hours Thursday morning forced a temporary shutdown of eastbound traffic through Fourth of July Pass and caused multiple accidents on Interstate 90.

The Idaho State Police reported that on I-90 through the Coeur d’Alene area, 28 crashes were called into the ISP dispatcher center. No serious injuries were reported.

The fast-moving snowstorm with strong winds seemed to catch drivers by surprise.

ISP dispatchers reported that while chains were required, “several semis that did not have chains spun out and blocked traffic causing intermittent closures.”

ISP Trooper Mike Lininger said part of the problem is “a lot of the commercial drivers are trying to pull the hill without a set of chains — as required."

“It's becoming more and more common on both Fourth of July and Lookout passes," he said.

ISP issued five chain-up violation tickets on Lookout Pass Thursday morning.

Following a spring-like clear and sunny Wednesday, the snow began coming down fast and furious about 7:10 a.m. Thursday and didn’t let up until about 11 a.m.

Fourth of July Pass was slick and dangerous and with so many accidents and semis turning sideways in a short time ISP stopped eastbound traffic for about an hour. Later, both lanes of eastbound traffic were opened, and one westbound lane was initially open.

"Please stop in Coeur d'Alene," ISP posted on its Twitter site. "We are blocking traffic at milepost 24 and you will not be able to proceed further until the road is clear. All commercial vehicle traffic, please stop where you can. Huetter POE is full."

ISP added that I-90 between Post Falls and Coeur d'Alene was “treacherous, please avoid the area."

By noon, road conditions were wet but mostly clear of ice and snow.

People rallied to help each other during the storm.

One woman with a flat tire just off Ramsey Road had multiple offers of assistance. And a man walking along the shoulder of the snow-covered road ran to help push a car stuck in a berm.

Coeur d’Alene climatologist Cliff Harris said 4.6 inches of snow fell in a four-hour stretch.

“A lot of people thought winter was over, but it wasn’t,” he said.

That brought the season’s total snowfall here to 53.1 inches. Average this time of year is about 60 inches.

The area just went through one of its longest stretches with little snow.

From Dec. 31 to Feb. 14, just 3.1 inches of snow fell in Coeur d’Alene. That’s the least for that time frame since 4.4 inches of snow fell in 1944.

For several chilly but sunny days, it was looking like a very early spring until Thursday’s snowfall.

“We had flowers coming up and the grass was turning green,” Harris said.

So far in February 18.1 inches of snow has fallen, and more is on the way through Sunday, Harris said.

“Nothing as strong as this morning,” he said.

Harris said from Feb. 7 to Feb. 17, Coeur d’Alene was never above freezing, and the 7 degrees on Feb. 12 was the first time in years the area dipped into single digits.

“We’re going to see more strange weather,” he said.

March could be a snowy one, Harris said, and Coeur d'Alene could still top the winter snowfall average of 69.8 inches.

•••

Chanse Watson of the Shoshone News-Press contributed to this report.