AUBURN, Wash. -- A 61-year-old woman was killed early Thursday when she lost control of her car and smashed into the back of a state patrol cruiser on an icy stretch of Highway 18.

The crash was one of many spinouts and collisions caused by snow and ice that fell Wednesday evening and through the night. The difficult driving conditions also forced many school districts to delay classes.

The fatal crash on Highway 18 forced troopers to shut down the eastbound lanes at the 304th exit, causing huge backups in the area.

Investigators said the driver slammed into an unoccupied patrol car that was parked on the side of the highway. The Auburn woman who was driving the car died at the scene.

The trooper was in the area to assist a number of other drivers who had lost control on the icy stretch of road.

The trooper was not injured and the name of the woman who was killed has not been released.

Most of the snow fell across Southwestern Washington and the South Puget Sound area as an area of low pressure crossed the southern half of the state, although we had isolated reports of snow along the northern Olympic Peninsula.

Snow totals generally ranged from a dusting to 1 inch, but the eastern Pierce and King County foothills got a little more as the snow stalled over the area. Reports from Bonney Lake, Enumclaw and Eatonville were anywhere between 3 to 4 inches.

And while we should be seeing spring weather this time of year, a few spots of snow remain in the forecast for the next few days. Some spots in Southwestern Washington could see as much as 3-6" of new snow by Friday morning, and even a little more snow is possible in the greater Seattle Metro area.

On Thursday the state Department of Transportation announced that the deadline for removing studded tires would be extended to April 5.