The Latest: Crews need pro tree-faller to help clear lanes


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SEATTLE (AP) — The Latest on winter storms across the West (all times local):

11:30 a.m.

Washington transportation officials say conditions on Interstate 90 over Snoqualmie Pass have improved enough to allow crews to start cleanup efforts.

Officials say they hope to re-open the eastbound lanes at 4 p.m. Thursday.

Crews will use excavator and loaders to break up and move 20 to 30 trees that came down onto the interstate during this week's ice storm. They say they'll need an experienced tree-faller to take down up to 30 trees that fell on the westbound lanes.

The trees were impacted by heavy ice buildup.

Crews on U.S. 101 at Lake Crescent were working to remove a car-sized bolder that landed on the road during heavy rains.

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8:02 am.

Interstate 90 in Washington state will likely remain closed across Snoqualmie Pass on Thursday as crews try to clear tons of fallen debris, fallen trees, rocks and snow that covered the busy road during this week's winter storm.

Transportation officials closed an 80-mile stretch of the interstate Wednesday, causing long backups of trucks and traffic waiting to cross the pass.

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7:23 a.m.

A 45-mile stretch of Interstate 84 in Oregon between Troutdale and Hood River remains closed because of ice.

The temperature in Hood River was expected to climb to slightly above freezing Thursday, melting some of the ice that has turned the highway into a skating rink. But it's a slow process.

The Hood River County School District canceled classes Thursday as did Columbia River Gorge districts in Lyle, Klickitat and White Salmon, Washington.

In Eastern Oregon, schools are closed in Ontario and Baker City after another snowstorm. State agency offices are closed in Malheur and Harney counties.

In Central Oregon, four Bend-La Pine schools are closed because too much snow or ice remains on roofs.

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6:15 a.m.

The first in a new series of winter storms is soaking much of California — snarling commutes, downing trees and dumping heavy snow in the mountains.

Up to 3 inches of rain was expected through Thursday in parts of the San Francisco Bay area.

In Southern California's Santa Monica Mountains, rain was falling at rates of up to a half-inch per hour.

Flood advisories and watches are posted on the far north coast. Winter storm warnings are in place across the Sierra Nevada.

Forecasters warn that mud and debris flows could occur as heavy rains fell on wildfire burn scars east of Los Angeles.

The National Weather Service office in San Diego warns that five-day rainfall totals will likely be substantial.

Storms are expected to bring precipitation across California into early next week, with brief breaks between systems.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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