Winter weather causes dozens of slide-offs and crashes in Boise. Are more on the way?
Icy roads in the Boise area contributed to dozens of slide-offs and crashes Friday, including one that involved two state troopers, according to Ada County Emergency Dispatch employees and the Idaho State Police.
Multiple crashes occurred in Elmore and Ada counties in the early morning hours on Friday, with some eastbound lanes on Interstate 84 near the Orchard Street exit closed between around 1:30 and 5 a.m., ISP spokesperson Lynn Hightower said. Westbound and eastbound I-84 lanes were also closed intermittently near Glenns Ferry between 5 and 7:30 a.m.
Two state troopers were also hit in their vehicles while assisting with crashes, according to ISP. One of the troopers was taken to a hospital, treated and released.
Dispatch told the Idaho Statesman it had responded to more than three dozen incidents by 9:30 a.m. In a tweet, ISP said troopers were dealing with “a large number of crashes and slide-offs in the Treasure Valley,” particularly around the Orchard Street exit on I-84.
Between midnight and noon on Friday, ISP responded to 22 crashes and at least 14 slide-offs, most of them on I-84 including three injury crashes, according to the department. ISP said there were no serious injuries.
A slide-off occurs when a motorist skids off the road and requires assistance getting back on the pavement, according ISP. Hightower said pavement quickly iced up, causing “very poor, dangerous road conditions.”
Dispatchers and law enforcement urged motorists to use caution when driving.
Snow and winter conditions were expected to continue in the area through the weekend. The National Weather Service’s Boise office issued a winter storm watch for an area just north of Boise including McCall, Stanley and Idaho City. The mountains were expected to see 20 to 30 inches of snow above 4,000 feet of elevation. Higher mountain passes could see 3 to 4 feet of snow, according to the winter storm watch.
The forecast for the Treasure Valley was less severe — a 50% chance of snow on Saturday, with a possibility of snow or rain on Sunday. Low temperatures were predicted to remain above freezing.
This story was originally published December 10, 2021 at 9:50 AM.
