Soggy weather conditions raise concern

Drivers in north central Idaho are being urged to watch for trees and rocks that have fallen onto highways because of the snowy and rainy weather conditions of the past few days.

According to a news release from the Idaho Transportation Department, small rock slides closed State Highway 14 at mileposts 22 and 38 from Grangeville to Elk City early Friday. U.S. Highway 12 at milepost 93 east of Syringa was blocked Friday by fallen trees, and several places were temporarily shut down because of downed trees, rock falls and plugged culverts.

Bob Schumacher, operations engineer for the department at Lewiston, said heavy snow from previous storms has weighed down trees, and saturated soil is not able to keep them in place, especially during windy conditions.

“Just last night one of our plow trucks, while responding to a downed tree in the road, was hit by another tree,” Schumacher said.

The truck was not occupied at the time.

So far, the department has dealt mainly with rocks and trees, but Schumacher said travelers should also be aware of the potential threat of avalanches in areas with steep roadside slopes, such as along U.S. Highway 12 along the Lochsa River.

Drivers are also cautioned to watch for debris in the road. Anyone seeking more information may check 511.idaho.gov for any road blockages or closures.

Here are other weather-related developments:

A fallen power line forced the closure of U.S. Highway 12 between mileposts 12.5 and 13 near its junction with State Highway 3 at Arrow at about 5:30 p.m. Friday, according to a news release from the transportation department. The base of the power pole was washed out, which resulted in the power line falling.

Clearwater Power managed to remove the lines, and the highway was reopened after about two hours, according to the ITD news release.

A tree that fell onto U.S. Highway 12 at milepost 49.5 about 5 miles east of Kooskia was struck by a motorist at about 10:35 p.m. Thursday, according to a news release from the Clearwater County Sheriff’s Office. Carol Reuben, 49, of Kooskia, was driving east on the highway when she struck the downed tree, according to the news release. She suffered minor injuries and was taken by ambulance to Clearwater Valley Hospital at Orofino.

Heavy rain fell over a more than two-day span in north central Idaho and southeastern Washington. Lewiston set a 24-hour daily record for Feb. 6 and a record for the wettest day ever recorded during a February on Thursday when 1.24 inches was recorded at the Lewiston-Nez Perce County Regional Airport, according to Mark Turner at the Spokane office of the National Weather Service. He said 1.12 inches of rain was recorded there between 3 p.m. Thursday and 3 p.m. Friday. More rain is forecast for this afternoon.

The rain swelled local creeks. Lapwai Creek along U.S. Highway 12 spilled over its banks in spots south of Lapwai. The Grande Ronde River near Troy, Ore., crested at about 11.5 feet, just above moderate flood stage Friday. Paradise Creek in Moscow reached 9.12 feet, just below the 9.2-foot flood stage, at 6:45 p.m. Friday.

U.S. Highway 12 in Washington between Waitsburg and Dayton was closed on Friday because of flooding, and was scheduled to remain closed overnight, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.

Hedberg may be contacted at kathyhedberg@gmail.com or (208) 983-2326. Barker may be contacted at ebarker@lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2273. Follow him on Twitter @ezebarker.