SEATTLE -- Snow showers will taper off this evening in most of Washington, forecasters say, but snowfall is likely to stick around on the ground for days as temperatures remain below freezing.

The snow left a trail of spinouts, disabled buses and abandoned cars as commuters spun their wheels on icy roads Thursday morning throughout the region. The storm closed schools for tens of thousands of students.

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By midday, Seattle had received about 4 inches of snow, much of it on top of ice in residential areas, with more on the city's steep hills and in the suburbs.

VIDEO: Seattle Directly Hit With Snow

In Kitsap County, authorities said freezing weather may have claimed the life of a man who wandered from his house wearing only light clothing. Get full story.

In King County, Metro canceled some bus routes Thursday afternoon after the bus system was "severely impacted by the storm," with long waits and routes altered by the snowfall. Reporter Chris Legeros, at a West Seattle intersection, said he saw four buses stuck on an icy street. He showed this video of the stuck buses and two Audis that slipped backward down a hill and bumped into each other. A viewer who lives two miles south said there was 6 inches of snow, the most he's seen there in years.

In Thurston County, a crash involving several trucks and cars closed southbound Interstate 5 at milepost 94, Mayton Road.

VIDEO: Multi-Vehicle Crash Closes I-5 SB In South Sound>br/> VIDEO BACKSTORY: Hanging Out With Drivers In An I-5 Parking Lot

A series of spinouts on State Route 520 at West Lake Sammamish Parkway halted traffic in both directions. State Department of Transportation cameras showed several vehicles in the roadway, including a bus. State Route 520 just west of Marymoor Park near Redmond was blocked.

VIDEO: Many Stuck In Snow On Eastside

Perry Cooper of Sea-Tac Airport said there were some backups Thursday afternoon due to the snow. Crews are clearing each runway and de-icing planes. Arrival and departure delays are about 30 minutes.

See the list from King County.

Officials in Seattle urged drivers to stay on major arterial streets, most of which remained passable. "If you don't have to go out, stay and home and wait for conditions to improve," said Mary Beth Turner of the Seattle Department of Transportation.

SLIDESHOW Widespread Snow Causes Chaotic Commute

The state's largest school district, Seattle Public Schools, closed Wednesday with just the threat of snow, but had better reason to keep students home Thursday. Many districts around the state also told students to stay home. Get the complete list of closures here.

Here are some snow amounts reported Thursday morning around Western Washington by the National Weather Service: Bellevue 3"
Woodinville 6"
Olympia 6"
Snoqualmie Pass 25"
Stanwood 10"
Oak Harbor 7"
Mount Vernon 11"
Bellingham 5"
Elma 3"

Snowfall totals from Doppler radar:

Port Angeles – 2" Sedro Woolley – 4" East of Mt. Vernon/Arlington – 6.50” to 8.75" Monroe – 5" Bremerton – 4" Seattle 3.5" Kirkland – 4.5" Renton – 5.25"

VIDEO: Snow Gets Deeper To The North

With the past two storm cycles dumping snow, officials have decided to open The Summit at Snoqualmie Pass on Friday. Read Story.

At Stevens Pass, there was 14 inches of new snow on the ground, said Chris Rudolph, a representative of the ski area. He said the new snow boosts the base to about 45 inches of snow.

The state Transportation Department said heavy snow is falling in the Cascade passes. Get the latest pass reports here.

In Spokane, conditions were far tougher. Forecasters expected an accumulation of 15 to 20 inches. Police asked that people stay home as most city roads are impassible. Details of Spokane storm.

Forecasters said frigid air will keep temperatures below freezing through the weekend across the state. Another storm will bring more snow Saturday and Sunday.