Need to drive in the snow? These Whatcom County areas get plowed first
With snow in the forecast, knowing how to drive safely in cold and snowy conditions can be life-saving. In particular, being aware of which roads are plowed and which roads are unsafe to drive on can prevent an accident.
“Whatcom County Public Works urges people to use caution when they have to travel in winter conditions. Every driver should pay attention to the conditions on any road and slow down accordingly,” Whatcom County Public Works wrote in an email to The Bellingham Herald.
Whatcom County’s website has a map of active road closures, blocks and restrictions online that provides drivers with the information they may need to know before their morning commute or afternoon drive.
But when snow and ice cover the roads, it is important to know which routes will be plowed, and which won’t.
Whatcom County’s stretch of I-5 is handled by the state, as well as Mount Baker Highway, and Highway 539 and 547. The city of Bellingham is responsible for plowing the city’s streets, and their plowing routes can also be found online.
Whatcom County’s website also has an online map of plowing routes and snow-priority roads that will be plowed first when a storm hits. Whatcom County has 960 miles of county-maintained roads to plow during a snowstorm.
Road plowing and road sanding are prioritized based on a few factors. That includes whether a road is frequently used and relied on, if it has emergency facilities such as fire and police stations, or if it is on a transit or school route, according to the county’s website.
Whatcom’s plowing routes and snow-priority roads are divided into four priority levels. Priority 1 level roads are plowed first, followed by priority 2 roads, followed by priority levels 3 and 4 roads, which include any remaining roads across the county.
▪ Priority 1 level roads include Mountain View Road, Hannegan Road, Smith Road and Enterprise Drive.
▪ Priority 2 level roads include Bay Road, Kickerville Road and Halverstick Road.
▪ Priority 3 level roads include Wiser Lake Road, Y Road and South Pass Road.
Service on roads that are low priority may be reduced during significant snow storms, icy conditions and other winter weather conditions as the county works to clear off higher-priority roads.
Whatcom County Public Works also uses Twitter and Facebook to post the most up-to-date information on road closures and conditions.
