Snow days

Closures mean sledding, snowmen, and more school this summer

By Danielle Frost
January 19, 2017 5:30 am
Life

Local kids enjoyed sledding on this hilll near the Washougal River Greenway Trail. With temperatures in the 20s all week, the snow became packed down and perfect for sledding. (Danielle Frost/Post-Record)

After several "snow days" without much snow, local kids were happy to see enough in the lower elevations to play in.

Downtown Camas building owners Kyle and Stephanie Eakins use a shovel and blowtorch to remove stubborn ice from a parking spot on Northeast Dallas Street in front of Natalia's Cafe, after a car nearly slid into one of the restaurant's windows. "We want customers to come in, but we prefer that they use the front door," he joked.

The Washougal River Greenway Trail pond was completely frozen over, a rarity in this area.

Amy Begley, owner of Forever Growing Kids in downtown Camas (front), and her landlord, Kate Rood, shovel and rock salt the sidewalks outside her store, and others, last week.

Dallas Street above Sixth Avenue in Camas was closed for a week due to ice and snow.

Dorrie Best and Debbie Schmid, both of Washougal, enjoyed tea from Caffe Piccolo in downtown Camas, Jan. 12. "I feel like I'm at a ski resort," Schmid said. They sat outside, while their daughters shopped for vinyl records at Camas Antiques.

Downtown Camas was picturesque on Monday, Jan. 9, after the first of two snowstorms hit the Clark County area. Higher temperatures and rain are predicted for this week.

Snow, ice and wind have been the prevailing themes for much of the past month in Camas and Washougal.

Schools in both districts were closed for four days last week, and children in the lower elevations enjoyed the first real snowfall in years.

In downtown Camas, businesses remained open when possible, and employees and owners could be seen shoveling sidewalks. Amy Begley of Forever Growing Kids and landlord Kate Rood went to work clearing the ice and snow on a sunny Friday in front of her businesses, as well as others.

“I wanted to do something to help,” Begley said. “It’s been nice to see people downtown, even in this weather. A lot of them walked here from their homes, and we want to give them a safe place to do that.”

Rood has been enjoying the snowfall.

“I think it’s just awesome,” she said. “I am so glad it finally really snowed.”

All of the built-in snow days in the Washougal and Camas school districts were used in December, when another winter storm hit.

Officials in both districts said that they will communicate a new plan for the end of the school year when the icy weather is gone. State law allows seniors in high school to attend classes five days fewer than other grades. However, there is no cap on the number of snow days to be made up, such as the case in neighboring states like Oregon.

The Post-Record will update information as it becomes available. Patrons may also check school websites for updated, weather related closures at www.washougal.k12.wa.us or www.camas.wednet.edu.

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