Snow showers made for a cold, slick Martin Luther King, Jr., Day holiday weekend, and are now delaying resumption of school for Valley children.

Due to inclement weather and road conditions, all Snoqualmie Valley School District schools are closed on Tuesday, Jan. 17. Riverview schools are on a two-hour late start Tuesday, with no morning preschool, kindergarten or out-of-district transportation.

Snoqualmie Valley School District has a 24- hour hotline for transportation emergencies, 425-831-8494; information is also available online at http://svsd410.org/departments/transportation/EmergencyInfo.asp.

Riverview School District posts schedule changes and instructions on 425-844-4542; visithttp://www.schoolreport.org/schoolDetail.php?schoolId=62 or go tohttp://www.riverview.wednet.edu/emergency_info.htm.

Before classes could resume, children and some venturesome parents made the best of the white stuff, hitting local parks for sledding, snowball fights and snowman-construction. The biggest draw was Community Park at Snoqualmie Ridge, where hundreds of children shot down the hill on sleds and toboggans, turning the slope into a slick crust.

Snow flurries started in earnest on Sunday, Jan. 15, with thick flakes blanketing the Valley with several inches in places. On Sunday afternoon, slick conditions and multiple car collisions shut down eastbound Interstate 90 at milepost 32 in North Bend for an hour.

Snow also delayed garbage service in Eastside communities including Snoqualmie, where residential garbage service was canceled on Monday, Jan. 16. Residents are asked to put out a double load on their next regular collection day.

King County Metro Transit switched to snow routes on Sunday and had reduced routes during the Monday holiday. To learn more about Metro transit, visit http://metro.kingcounty.gov.

Think ahead

With temperatures headed below freezing overnight and a series of storms forecast for the next several days, drivers should remain on top of changing weather conditions and traffic conditions before they head out.

“Our biggest problem is people who drive too fast for conditions. They lose control, leave the roadway or strike other vehicles,” said Trooper Julie Startup.

“We have all our crews out,” said Dave McCormick, WSDOT regional maintenance. They will continue to work overnight to treat state highways and interstates with sand, salt, deicer, and anti-icer.

• For information about winter preparedness and travel tips, visit www.TakeWinterByStorm.org.

• You can register for road alerts at www.kingcounty.gov/roadalert and transit alerts at www.kingcounty.gov/transit.