Many Clark County residents breathed a sigh of relief Wednesday morning as forecasted wicked weather conditions dwindled and the morning commute went smoothly.
Washington State Department of Transportation announced around 6:30 a.m. that travel times from Vancouver into Portland were looking better than usual, but noted residents to check road conditions before they headed out on the roads.
While some neighborhoods streets remained crusted over with days-old ice, major thoroughfares and freeways connecting Clark County communities were mostly wet.
The forecast called for the possibility of freezing rain starting overnight Tuesday into Wednesday, which officials warned could cause issues for the morning commute. However, not much rain was expected for Wednesday, said Andy Bryant, a hydrologist with the National Weather Service in Portland.
Traffic alerts and scanner traffic indicated that road conditions were safe — the majority of drivers managed to stay on the road.
Washington State Patrol Trooper Will Finn said the law enforcement agency saw zero weather-related crashes Wednesday morning. Finn encouraged people to clean their cars of ice as chunks flying off while driving can create hazards.
The Columbian, which had to suspend delivery to some areas on Monday, was able to deliver papers this morning.
But there were a couple of hiccups. There was a disabled vehicle on Northbound Interstate 205 near exit 36 and 134th Street at Milepost 34 as of 9:45 a.m. A crash on Interstate 84 had one driver sitting in traffic for nearly an hour before they reached Cascades Locks.
The National Weather Service issued a winter weather message for the greater Vancouver area that lasts until noon Wednesday.
Forecasters predicted “areas of drizzle, but with patchy freezing drizzle. Any icy may result in very slippery conditions on sidewalks, roads and bridges,” the message said.
Additional ice accumulations will be limited to a light glaze, the weather service said.
The forecast calls for more rain Thursday and Friday, but with temperatures in the low- to mid-40s.
