Winter storms leave chilly memories

Snow is quite an event in Bellingham, whether it's a dusting that melts within the hour or a blizzard that shuts down the city for days. But most of the real damage comes when melting snow fills drains, streams and rivers to overflowing.

Bellingham and Whatcom County history is sprinkled with memorable windstorms, blizzards and floods.

The risk for flooding rises during the so-called "Pineapple Express" that brings warm moisture from the tropics during winter, causing rain to fall on snow in the mountains. The rain and melting snow pour directly into swollen streams.

High winds arrive when storms cut across the northern Puget Sound, causing low-pressure storms to meet high-pressure areas. The result - winds that can reach 100 mph, toppling trees and power lines and tearing roofs off of buildings.

Luckily, summer temperatures rarely reach 100 degrees, and winter temperatures rarely fall below zero. Still, here are 10 stretches of foul weather to make your joints ache:

When the snow melted, floods caused millions in damage and broke through a Lummi Reservation dike, pouring up to 20 inches of water onto Haxton Way and cutting off access to much of the reservation.

This story was originally published November 19, 2006 at 5:09 PM with the headline "Winter storms leave chilly memories."