Local

South Sound begins to thaw from ice storm

Pierce County was hit hard by Friday morning’s freezing rain.

Ice covered streets and sidewalks, making travel by car or on foot treacherous.

“That hill, it’s just one big sheet of ice,” said David Shepherd as he walked in to work in Tacoma after a harrowing drive from West Seattle.

Pierce Transit canceled all bus service until 4 p.m., after the ice melted enough to make streets passable for buses.

Road crews for Pierce County and the City of Tacoma prepared all week for the storm, adding anti-icer to major routes in the hours before it hit.

As the freezing rain arrived, crews added more salt to the streets.

By afternoon, county officials reported improvement in road conditions, but warned ice could linger in some less-traveled spots into Saturday.