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Fresh snow and icy conditions greeted many this morning throughout the Puget Sound region, including several neighborhoods in Seattle.

Downtown Seattle, Capitol Hill, West Seattle and other pockets of the city were covered in snow Wednesday morning, prompting Seattle Public Schools to shut down its campuses for the day in favor of remote learning. Virtual classes have been delayed for two hours.

West Seattle. Snow on the ground. Roads bare and wet. Traffic moving at speed.

— James L. (@James_³ÉÈËXÕ¾Radio)

“We had a heavier band of snow that came in early this morning, right before the commute time,” Logan Howard, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service (NWS) in Seattle, said.

More local weather: Frigid cold, bad commute conditions, weekend snow ahead for Seattle

The Lake Washington School District also closed its schools down for the day.

“One to three inches, with the higher amounts on the east side towards Bellevue and over towards the foothills,” Howard added. “But we did see around an inch here in the Seattle metro.”

Road conditions due to snow

The Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is using salt and sand to treat the roads during severe weather, hoping it will curb any crashes or accidents during early morning commutes — when there’s both snow and ice on the road.

According to traffic reporter Chris Sullivan, weather-related accidents and spin-outs have occurred on Interstate 405 (northbound), Interstate 520 and Interstate 5, while roads have been blocked off in Bellevue due to a crash involving multiple cars.

From bomb cyclones to wildfires: Honor National Weatherperson’s Day Wednesday

Two Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) vehicles were hit Wednesday morning by drivers due to slick road conditions. WSDOT crews are asking for drivers to be extra careful.

This morning we had two separate incidents where our crew were hit. Thankfully our two crew members were uninjured. But let this be a reminder to slow down, drive for conditions, remove distractions and give our crews room whether they are plowing or helping at a collision scene.

— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic)

The snow isn’t going anywhere

Temperatures are also expected to fall back to below-freezing again tonight, meaning more snow could accumulate.

“Tonight into early tomorrow morning, at least for the Seattle area, we could see another inch or two of snow,” Howard said.

IMPORTANT: Coyotes frolicking through the snow content.

— Washington State DOT (@wsdot)

By Friday, some sunshine is expected to appear. Cold temperatures — approximately 10 degrees cooler than early February averages — are expected to remain. It does not mean the snow, or snow-like conditions, is leaving the Pacific Northwest.

“Generally, we still have lingering snow or rain snow showers in the forecast, at least all through this weekend and even early next week,” Howard said.

Frank Sumrall is a content editor at MyNorthwest and producer of the Seattle Seahawks podcast, . You can read his stories here and you can email him here.