SEATTLE (AP) -- An ice storm followed heavy snow in western Washington, bringing down trees that killed one person and knocked out power for about 100,000 homes, and sending cars and trucks spinning out of control.
The tree fell on a person backing an all-terrain vehicle out of a shed Thursday morning near Issaquah, said King County sheriff's Sgt. Cindi West. The ATV rider died at the scene in the first fatality of the storm.
"Tree branches have been falling all over the place because of the weight of the ice," West said.
Gov. Chris Gregoire declared a state of emergency because of the freezing rain.
"This is purely a precautionary move," said spokeswoman Karina Shagren. "At this point, we have not received any requests from cities or counties for state help, but we know weather conditions are changing rapidly so we want to be prepared."
(31 images)
The tree fell on a person backing an all-terrain vehicle out of a shed Thursday morning near Issaquah, said King County sheriff's Sgt. Cindi West. The ATV rider died at the scene in the first fatality of the storm.
"Tree branches have been falling all over the place because of the weight of the ice," West said.
Gov. Chris Gregoire declared a state of emergency because of the freezing rain.
"This is purely a precautionary move," said spokeswoman Karina Shagren. "At this point, we have not received any requests from cities or counties for state help, but we know weather conditions are changing rapidly so we want to be prepared."
(31 images)
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A winter snow inspires Lincoln neighborhood residents to take an early morning walk Wednesday Jan. 18, 2012 in Vancouver, Wash. The Columbian / Troy Wayrynen
Snow flies off the wheels of a Jeep, as traffic moves along I-405 near Renton, Washington, on Wednesday, Jan. 18, where compact snow covered the highway. Seattle Times / Steve Ringman
A Metro bus drives under a canopy of snow-covered trees in Pioneer Square Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012, in Seattle. AP / Elaine Thompson
Sledders, skiers, snowboarders and pedestrians take over a snow-covered street in the Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012. AP / Elaine Thompson
Sledders, skiers, snowboarders and pedestrians take over a snow-covered street in the Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012. AP / Elaine Thompson
Daniel Phillips walks to work along 228th Street Southeast in Bothell, Washington, on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2012, during light morning snowfall. Seattle Times / Mike Siegel
Lucas Fletcher glides down Kite Hill in Seattle, Washington, Wednesday, January 18, 2012. Seattle Times / Alan Berner
Donna Rice skis down Columbia Street SW, Wednesday, January 18, 2012 in Olympia, Washington. "I have 16 inches in my backyard," said Rice. Seattle Times / Steve Ringman
Heather Wilson ran into a rough spot in Tukwila, Washington on Wednesday, January 18, 2012. Wilson, a poker dealer in a casino, was on her way to work before running into the guardrail. Seattle Times / John Lok
Kevin Mahurin searches for a place to attach his tow strap to a car driven by Augistine Torres Wednesday morning, Jan. 18, 2012 in Kennewick, Wash.. The front-wheel drive sedan, outfitted with summer tread tires, became stuck on the icy inclined roadway on West First Avenue at South Fruitland Street. Mahurin then used his four-wheel pickup to move the car from blocking the intersection. The Tri-City Herald / Tri-City Herald/Bob Brawdy
A jogger runs through Wright Park in the snow, Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012, in Tacoma, Wash. AP / Ted S. Warren
The Big Lake community, east of Mount Vernon, Wash., is covered in snow, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2012. Skagit Valley Herald / Scott Terrell
A large snowman looks over his wintry domain below the berm in Pioneer Park in Walla Walla, Wash. Wednesday morning, January 18, 2012 after the first significant snowfall of the season blanketed Walla Walla over night. Walla Walla Union-Bulletin / Matthew Zimmerman Banderas
Joe Jackson clears the road near his hay farm in Finley, Wash. on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2012. Tri-City Herald / Kai-Huei Yau
A pedestrian walks on a snow-covered street, Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012, in Seattle. AP / Elaine Thompson
Carter Morse, 11, a student at Franklin Elementary School, enjoys the winter snow sledding at Franklin Park Wednesday Jan. 18, 2012 in Vancouver, Wash. The Vancouver School District closed schools because of snow. The Columbian / Troy Wayrynen
Amelia McHugh, 9, right, and her father, Noel McHugh, left, cross-country ski, Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012, at the Capitol in Olympia, Wash. AP / Ted S. Warren
Jorge Mendoza, 13, left, adds snow to a snow hut he and his brother Luis, 11, are building in front of their Kennewick, Wash. home Wednesday Jan. 18, 2012. Tri-City Herald / Paul T. Erickson
A man walks past a truck stuck in the snow on 22 Avenue S. at S. Hill Street in Seattle, Wednesday. Jan. 18, 2012, The Seattle Times / Ken Lambert
A semi-truck is shown after it left an off-ramp of Interstate-5 near Nisqually, Wash., during a snowstorm, Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012. AP / Ted S. Warren
A van rests part way up the bank near the ice covered lanes of west bound Highway 182, Wednesday morning, Jan. 18, 2012 near Pasco, Wash. The Tri-City Herald / Richard Dickin
Shawn Hobbs blows a little snow on his daughter Sarah, 5, after she refused to move completely out of the way Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012, in Spokane Valley, Wash. The Spokesman-Review / Jesse Tinsley
A pair of bicyclists head across an intersection in a snowstorm Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012, in Seattle. AP / Elaine Thompson
Heights Elementary students take advantage of their lunch break to enjoy the new blanket of snow Wednesday, January 18, 2012 in Clarkston, Wash. Lewiston Tribune / Kyle Mills
Sydney Hogan, 4, tries to catch snowflakes on her tongue while she and her mother Bridget Mertens sled in front of their Richland, Wash. home Wednesday Jan. 18, 2012. Tri-City Herald / Paul T. Erickson
Surrounded by mounds of new snow on the deck tables at Mount Bachelor, Ore., snowboarder Lori LaBissoniere, 31, of Bend, looks out towards the Pine Marten Lift, which was among several lifts that were closed due to storm conditions on Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012. The Bulletin / Andy Tullis
Victims of a snowy crash stand at right as an Oregon Department of Transportation employee, in vest, checks with another driver after winter weather hit the area in Beaverton, Ore., Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2012. AP / Don Ryan
High winds blast the Yaquina Bay Bridge on Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012 in Newport, Ore. High winds have begun hammering parts of the Oregon coast and causing power outages. The high winds are part of a winter storm that moved into Western Oregon overnight. The storm brought a couple inches of snow to parts of the Willamette Valley before turning to rain. The Oregonian / Thomas Boyd
Zach Schoenfelder and his dog Sophie take a tumble while sledding Wednesday Jan. 18, 2012 in Boise, Idaho. The Idaho Statesman / Chris Butler
Residents in Boise, Idaho try and to protect themselves from the snow and wind during a snow storm Wednesday Jan. 18, 2012. The Boise Airport received five inches of snow Wednesday. The Idaho Statesman / Chris Butler
With snow piling up too deep to ride, James Frazier walks his bike Wednesday afternoon, Jan. 18, 2012 on a Missoula, Mont., street just before the snowplow arrives to clear the path. The National Weather Service is predicting "this storm will likely be one of historic magnitude." Missoula Missoulian / Kurt Wilson
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