Four Crashes, Ice Briefly Close U.S. Hwy 2 Near Cashmere

It was a slippery commute for motorists on U.S. Highway 2 near Cashmere this morning (Thursday, Nov. 9).

Freezing temperatures in the region caused ice to form on the roadway, and that contributed to four separate accidents within a half-an-hour that temporarily shutdown the westbound lanes of the highway just before 7 a.m.

Washington State Patrol Trooper Jeremy Weber says the stretch of U.S. 2 that was briefly closed is notorious for having treacherous conditions during the colder months.

"This time of year and throughout the winter, that particular area of (U.S.) Highway 2 west of Cashmere from about mileposts one-eleven to one-fifteen gets frozen really quick. It just gets cold and then we have a lot of ice to deal with. It looks fine to drivers but it's kind of that whole black ice thing and once drivers put on their brakes to stop, they just keep going."

Crews from the Washington State Department of Transportation were called out to treat the road with deicer and the highway was reopened at around 8 a.m.

Weber advises drivers to always be mindful of the temperature when the weather cools down.

"Most modern cars have a temperature gauge that shows the outside temperature. I know that for me, when it's cold outside, I'm constantly looking at my temperature gauge just to see if it's freezing and should I take extra precautions. So that may be a really wise thing for people to start paying attention to."

None of this morning's accidents involved any injuries.