Spring snow and icy road lead to fatality on Highway 18 near Auburn

The spring snow that fell overnight on Western Washington, blanketing parts of South King County, is blamed for a fatal accident this morning on Highway 18, authorities said.

Carol Simeon, 61, was driving eastbound near Southeast 304th Street when she lost control of her sedan on the icy roadway and hit a Washington State Patrol car, police said.

Two troopers were standing outside their vehicles around 3 a.m. investigating several spin-out collisions, when Simeon hit one of the patrol cars, which was parked on the right shoulder, said State Patrol Trooper Curt Boyle. Simeon, who lived near Auburn, died at the scene, he said.

Highway 18 was closed eastbound for several hours. Witnesses to the fatal collision are being asked to contact State Patrol Sgt. Jerry Cooper at 360-805-1192.

According to the Weather Service, more snow could be on its way today and Friday.

"We normally get snow in January, but by late March it's unusual to have snow showers in the Seattle area," said Jeff Michalski, meteorologist with the Weather Service in Seattle

Forecasters say the Seattle area will continue to ease its way into spring, with cool temperatures and rain mixed with snow predicted for the rest of the week.

The unexpected cold spell will keep temperatures about eight to 10 degrees cooler than what's expected for late March. Snow was reported Wednesday evening in parts of Seattle, the Puget Sound region and the coastal area.

A slight warming trend might come over the weekend. But it won't be until early next week that temperatures are expected to reach the low 50s, which is closer to normal.

Snow showers or a high chance of snow was predicted for skiers heading to the Summit at Snoqualmie through the weekend. The resort's Web site said the Summit has seen 99 more inches of snow this season compared with the previous season.