Here’s what the first storm of 2020 could bring to Whatcom County
The first storm of 2020 could pack a punch, bringing heavy lowland rain and gusty winds to western Whatcom County and 2½ to 3 feet of snow to the Northern Cascades from Thursday afternoon through Saturday.
The National Weather Service Seattle has issued a wind advisory for western Whatcom County, among other areas in the region, from 10 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 2, though 4 p.m. Friday. Sustained winds in Whatcom County are expected to be between 20 and 35 mph, with gusts topping out at 40 to 45 mph. The mountains will see gusts reaching speeds of 35 to 40 mph.
A gale warning also has been issued for Whatcom County waters from 10 a.m. Thursday through 4 p.m. Friday, according to an email from Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office Division of Emergency Management Deputy Director John Gargett.
With the warm front approaching from the southwest, showers are supposed to end Thursday morning, according to the latest National Weather Service briefing. Rain will begin spreading inland Thursday afternoon and continue through the night, while winds will increase along coastal areas and in the San Juan Islands and Whatcom and Skagit counties, the weather service said.
Rain is expected to continue Friday, though the weather service predicts a midday break, before precipitation and winds continue later in the day. Showers should persist into Saturday, while snow levels Saturday may drop to approximately 2,000 feet, the weather service said.
Environment Canada issued a similar stormy prediction for metro Vancouver, B.C., and the Fraser Valley, in a special weather statement.
The National Weather Service says an active weather pattern will continue through the middle of next week, though the details of exactly what that will mean for the region remain uncertain.
Up to 3 feet of snow is expected in the North Cascades, where avalanche conditions are “considerable,” according to the Northwest Avalanche Center.
According to final 2019 statistics tweeted by the weather service Wednesday, Bellingham’s average temperature for the year was 1.5 degrees above normal at 51.3 degrees, though December was particularly warmer than usual with an average temperature of 42.8 degrees — 4.7 degrees warmer than usual.
December was a slightly wetter than normal, though, with 4.35 inches of precipitation — 0.13 inches above average. For the year, Bellingham finished nearly 5 inches below normal with 30.94 inches of precipitation.
January is expected to be a little colder than usual across Washington state, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted Wednesday, with precipitation having equal chances to be above, below or near normal in the region.
This story was originally published January 2, 2020 at 9:52 AM.
