wsdot.wa.gov
This traffic camera image shows crews responding to an overturned car on State Route 599 north of Seattle, Wash., on Thursday.
By msnbc.com staff and news services
SEATTLE -- A day after a major Pacific storm covered Washington state in snow, the Seattle area on Thursday dealt with a new menace: an ice storm that shut down the airport and toppled trees -- cutting power to some 200,000 homes and businesses, cutting off roads and taking the life of a man on his ATV.
Some commuters gingerly tried to make it to work as a freezing rain iced over roads, but others stayed home.
Several major roads were cut off by fallen trees weighed down by ice and snow. Near Issaquah, a suburb east of Seattle, a man on his ATV was killed by a falling tree, NBC affiliate KING5.com reported.
Gov. Christine Gregoire declared a state of emergency by late morning, a move that would allow her to deploy National Guard troops if needed.
The National Weather Service used the Emergency Alert System to break into Thursday morning broadcasts with an ice storm warning until noon for the Seattle area and southwest Washington. That was later extended to 2 p.m.
A mix of snow and ice was expected Thursday afternoon and overnight before warmer temperatures bring rain and the possibility of flooding.
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