Bright sun and brilliant blue skies greeted Clark County residents Thursday as the heavy storm clouds that brought about a foot of snow to the region cleared, offering a rare view of a landscape dressed in snow.
As kids of all ages reveled in another snow day — schools is canceled Friday, as well — road crews in Vancouver spent Thursday plowing what snow they could scrape from packed streets, then applying deicer as sunlight warmed up the snow.
Much of the city’s main thoroughfares were a mix of packed snow and slush, and conditions on many side streets remained slippery.
Police and firefighters responded to dozens of calls about traffic problems and crashes Thursday, including a jackknifed tractor-trailer that jammed southbound Interstate 5 for about an hour.
National Weather Service sensors around Clark County recorded multiple spots with temperatures above freezing Thursday, but any melted snow should freeze overnight Thursday, so public works said it intended to continue 24-hour roads coverage until things warm up.
Friday’s high for Vancouver will be near 32 degrees, with patchy freezing fog in the morning giving way to sunny skies during the day. Friday’s low will be around 23 degrees.
Forecasters at the National Weather Service in Portland say the cold, sunny weather will continue through the weekend. A high-pressure system currently over the area means the low temperatures and clear skies will likely stick around through Sunday.
Mostly sunny daytime skies and high temperatures hovering above freezing, and lows well below, are forecast to continue through Sunday. Forecasters expect a significant change in the weather next week. Temperatures should begin to warm up starting Monday, with rain starting midweek next week.
Along with closing schools and sending motorists into ditches, the cold weather caused garbage, recycling and yard debris service for Friday to be canceled for the entire county. Waste Connections said customers can set out double their standard loads on their next scheduled pickup day.
Customers with every-other-week pickup schedules for garbage who won’t get a garbage pickup may set out their garbage next week for no additional charge. Wednesday and Thursday’s pickups were also canceled. Every-other-week recycling or garbage service will only run on their regular schedules, Waste Connections said.
Clark County government offices and the Clark County Courthouse will open at noon Friday.
In District Court, in-custody arraignments will start at noon. Infraction and probation violation review dockets will be reset and new notices will be sent out.
Juvenile court first appearances will start at 1:30 p.m.
In Superior Court, dockets for first appearances, arraignments, civil motions and unlawful detainer and probate matters — and the 9 a.m. change-of-plea dockets — will start at 1:30 p.m.
The county also said the volunteer work event at Whipple Creek Regional Park for Martin Luther King Jr. Day has been rescheduled for 9 a.m. to noon Saturday.