Gov. Chris Gregoire this morning declared a state of emergency due to the weather.

In a release, the governor's office said this would "ensure the delivery of valuable dairy products across Washington state" by waiving hours of service for drivers of trucks hauling milk shipments, enabling the activation of the Washington National Guard and freeing up state agencies "to take extraordinary steps to help local jurisdictions during the current winter storm."

The governor's action does the following:

• Waives hours of service for drivers of trucks hauling intrastate bulk milk shipments from farms to dairy processing facilities and from dairies to processing facilities. The waiver is in effect through Jan. 22;
• Directs state government to support emergency response activities in local jurisdictions affected by the winter storm;
• Allows state agencies to make expenditures and utilize resources to assist local communities in their recovery efforts; and
• Authorizes the Washington National Guard to activate at the direction of State Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Timothy J. Lowenberg.

"This is purely a precautionary measure," Gregoire said in a news release. "A brief waiver of the restrictions on dairy truck drivers' work hours is needed now to avoid shipment delays that could mean the loss of nearly $1 million a day for the state's dairy industry."