Clearing the Spokane snow/Spokane Street Department |
Two days ago we were plowing through water - some rain, some snow melt - and barely made it through the Coast Range before the road we were on was closed due to flooding. But if it's snow you want . . .
The situation is getting really bad around Spokane. This is a city accustomed to snowfall, and generally fairly prepared for it; the city says it has "a total of 35 plows for use, 7 of which can sand at the same time and 6 of which can de-ice at the same time. Additional sander trucks and 3 de-icer trucks are available." Which would seem enough.
But this is really unusual snow - mass drop after mass drop, with no change for meltoff. And it's not just the roads. The city's web site also says this: "With an additional 6 inches of snow last night, many buildings which had sustained the weight of recent snow storms finally succumbed last night. An additional four buildings suffered from collapsed roofs this morning bringing this week’s roof collapse total in the City of Spokane to about 28, which include a mix of commercial buildings, industrial buildings, awnings, carports, and residential garages."
The Spokesman-Review is running a backgrounder on "cabin fever throughout history."
Another storm is scheduled for Sunday night.