Snow hits valley hard
Tuesday squall prompts school closures, traffic accidents
By From Argus Observer staff
Wednesday, January 9, 2008 12:33 PM PST
Ontario - A large winter storm rolled across the western Treasure Valley Tuesday, snarling traffic and forcing a number of area school districts to cancel classes today.
Locally, Ontario, New Plymouth, Nyssa, Parma, Payette, Vale, Weiser and Fruitland school districts canceled classes today.
The Caldwell, Homedale and Nampa school districts also canceled classes today.
A winter storm watch was still in place over Baker County and the Boise and West Central Mountains of Idaho this morning, according to the National Weather Service in Boise.
Snow will most likely linger throughout the valley for a few more days. According to the weather service, there was a 30 percent chance of snow showers this morning with some clear skies expected this afternoon. Tonight’s forecast calls for clouds with a 40 percent chance of snow. Thursday is forecasted to offer up a 40 percent chance of snow and rain with highs between 33 and 40.
“People went out and checking roads — about 4 a.m.,” Janine Weeks, assistant Nyssa schools superintendent, said. “On the country roads, not all of the places where buses needed to go are plowed.”
The Ontario School District also double-checked road conditions before deciding to cancel classes today.
“We’re pretty much doing what everyone else is doing in the western Treasure Valley,” Dennis Carter, Ontario School District superintendent, said.
“We had people out at 3 a.m. and 4 p.m. checking roads,” he said.
The decision to close school was made at 5:15 a.m., he said.
Local law enforcement agencies were also busy responding to a number of weather-related crashes and slide-offs Tuesday.
Malheur County Undersheriff Brian Wolfe reported Wednesday morning 16 traffic miscues in the last 24 hours.
Wolfe said, however, except for an accident in Jordan Valley, where the driver sustained minor injuries, no injuries were reported.
All, he said, were weather related because of the snow-covered, icy roads.
“It wasn’t even speed associated with them,” he said. “It was just stuff. Just slick roads, (vehicles) sliding off the road, sliding through intersections, those types of things.”
No tickets were issued in any of the incidents, Wolfe said.
While sixteen sounds like a lot of accidents in 24 hours, Wolfe said, until the number of roads in the county and the number of people driving on them are taken into consideration.
“Sixteen’s a lot, especially if you happen to be one of them, but it could be a lot worse,” he said.
Wolfe said he remembers one Friday after Thanksgiving near Jordan Valley there were 68 accidents and slide-offs in 12 hours.
In Ontario, police officers were only a little less busy, responding to seven crashes and slide-offs, but none were serious, or resulted in serious injury, Ontario Police Chief Mike Kee said.
He also said the police department aided other agencies with a couple of other crashes.
Although Kee said he did not know if any tickets were issued, he was fairly certain all were weather related.
“It’s unusual for us to have seven traffic crashes in a day,” Kee said.
