Returning rain makes road conditions difficult for drivers

After a long dry spell, the return of rain has made driving conditions difficult on roads throughout the region.

On Saturday evening, slick roads were a problem for drivers and multiple vehicles spun out.

Washington State Department of Transportation cameras caught a collision on Highway 167 in Auburn.

Another car was found facing the other direction on Interstate 405.

On Interstate 5 on Roanoke, a car stopped at a barrier but left its bumper behind.

KIRO 7 Eyewitness News spoke with driver Daniel Escobar, who lost control of his truck in White Center, which landed on its top.

“My car, is slippery, how you say it’s slippery, I can’t control,” said Escobar.

Another weather-related problem has been power outages.

On Friday night, power crews were called to power lines down in Mountlake Terrace.

The outages caused a phenomenon called tracking, which happens when lines have been dry for a long time and there is buildup of dust and dirt. When rain is added, it can cause an arc or a short circuit.

“The thing is about this time of year, when you have leaves still in the trees, they can serve as a sail action. If we have strong winds, that can come through here, and that can cause lines to come down,” said John Gustafson of Seattle City Light.