Snowfall hit Kalispell just in time for most people’s commute to work or school on Tuesday, causing a rash of traffic accidents as folks navigated through the slippery mess.

Montana Highway Patrol Sgt. Roy Christensen said that his officers worked 20 calls between 7:30 a.m. and noon on Tuesday.

One of the calls included a slide-off where a driver hit a light pole and chain link fence near the intersection of U.S. 2 and Evergreen Drive. Only three or four calls required crash paperwork, Christensen said.

“Luckily, it’s been non-injury all the way,” Christensen said. “The majority have been slide-offs.”

Christensen recommended that folks stay home until the storm passed if possible. “Be aware of your surroundings,” Christensen said. “The road conditions can change in a heartbeat.”

Allison Meilicke, spokeswoman for Kalispell Regional Medical Center, said that emergency room staff had seen fewer calls than expected during the day, with only a couple of people transported from slide-offs.

The staff did expect the number of calls to go up as nightfall hit and the probability of black ice forming went up.

In the meantime, the hospital was advising all of its employees to wear traction devices to prevent falls.

“It’s slick,” Meilicke said.

By 5 p.m., the Flathead 911 Dispatch Center had handled more than 60 vehicle accidents or slide-offs, according to Flathead County Office of Emergency Services Planner Nikki Stephan.

“The main message at this point is slow down,” Stephan said. “Leave for your destination far before when you would normally leave. If you are traveling long distances carry food and water. Make sure that you have extra winter vehicle apparel in your vehicle, carry a blanket and always have a shovel.”

The Flathead Valley received several inches of snow Tuesday with snowfall tapering off in the afternoon. Some light snow showers were forecast throughout the evening.

National Weather Service Meteorologist Dan Zumpfe said the skies are expected to remain clear through the next week, but low temperatures and a light breeze could continue to make the wind chill a concern through this afternoon.

The Weather Service forecasts wind-chill values in the negative single digits today and tonight, with the temperature dropping to 6 degrees above zero.

Thanksgiving’s high will be in the mid to upper 20s, dipping down to the single digits again overnight.

Reporter Megan Strickland may be reached at 758-4459 or by email at [email protected].