West Richland to Pasco Commute…How Was it This Morning?

Traveling from West Richland to our studios in Pasco this morning was not nearly as bad as I had anticipated. Make no mistake, it is treacherous out there, but since the predicted freezing rain had not hit yet, the roads were only snowy and not ice-covered.

This is my first winter driving an all-wheel-drive vehicle. My trusty four-wheel-drive pickup had to find a new home after 14 years and 210,000 miles lol. I was really happy with the performance of all-wheel-drive! I had to pass a couple of slower front-wheel drives this morning, and they are wise to go slower as even those can fishtail.

Highway 240 was probably plowed at some point, but it looks like maybe hours ago at the time of my early morning commute, and there's plenty of snow on the highway. Lane markings are invisible. Fortunately, I was traveling early enough that there was literally no traffic.

Things will get a lot more sketchy when more vehicles hit the road this morning and the impatient drivers will surely be messing with the white-knuckled drivers. But with Hanford day-shift canceled and no schools in session, it will be a much lighter traffic day than usual.

Snowplow drivers are working feverishly, and side streets probably won't get plowed at all. Hopefully the mid-40-degree temperatures tomorrow will give some relief, but I'm not sure it can melt all the snow by Sunday when we are back in the low 30s. Hopefully, the freezing rain that is forecast simply won't develop! If it does it's going to get a lot worse before it gets better.

Fill up your tank and make sure you have windshield washer fluid for the sloppy mess that warmer temps will create tomorrow and Saturday.

P.S. I did take the above pic while I was driving, and I've already reported myself to the cops, Karen.