More snow for Whatcom. Here’s when the south wind brings a warming trend
More snow is ahead for Whatcom County residents Friday night and early Saturday before temperatures begin to warm again, according to forecasts from the National Weather Service in Seattle and from Environment Canada.
Occasional snow showers were forecast during the day Friday with high temperatures around freezing.
Lows Friday night were expected in the high 20s, with an overnight high wind watch for south winds 25-35 mph, gusting to 50 mph.
Power outages were possible and driving could be difficult for trucks, RVs and larger cars, the National Weather Service said online.
Those south winds were expected to chase away the biting cold Fraser outflow that’s been blowing into Whatcom County from British Columbia since Sunday.
Snow was expected to switch to rain Saturday morning in the Bellingham area, and a high of 45 degrees was forecast.
Environment Canada predicted a high of 37 degrees for Abbotsford, B.C., just north of Lynden and Sumas.
Canadian meteorologists issued a winter storm watch for snow, freezing rain and rain along the South Coast of British Columbia, including Abbotsford.
Preparing for flooding
Northern Whatcom County was expected to see its most significant warming by Sunday, when high temperatures could approach 50 degrees.
Rain was forecast for Saturday, Sunday and Monday, with daytime temperatures in the upper 40s.
Quick snowmelt could cause drainage problems, and Bellingham crews were preparing for that possibility said Amy Cloud, spokeswoman for the Bellingham Department of Public Works.
“Crews are starting to prepare for localized flooding that is likely to occur from catch basins that have been buried in snow,” Cloud said in an email.
School districts were closed around Whatcom County on Friday and will be off Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
Overnight roads
Cloud called road conditions “fair” in Bellingham a little after 8 a.m. Friday.
“There are still some areas of ice throughout Bellingham as temperatures dropped from 42 degrees yesterday to low 20s now. We have plowed about 85% of all the roads in Bellingham,” Cloud said in an email. “Crews are still working to get streets that have not been covered and to maintain the condition of arterials and snow routes.”
“Frost and ice are high concerns county-wide,” said John Gargett, deputy director of the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office Division of Emergency Management.
Gargett said overnight snowfall ranged from a half-inch near the coast to 3 inches or more near Sumas.
A separate report showed 6 to 7 inches at Glenhaven, south of Sudden Valley.
“It’s very slick out there on the side roads off the freeway,” Gargett told The Bellingham Herald early Friday.
“South County, Cain Lake area, got 4 to 6 inches of snow last night. Very slick and dangerous down there,” he said.
“Our crews are working through the night to clean up remaining pockets of ice and snow,” said Jon Hutchings, Whatcom County director of public works.
‘Surf’s up’ for skiers
Mt. Baker Ski Area was open with more than a foot of snow overnight and 15 feet of snow in 17 days, officials reported at their website.
“Riding conditions like this don’t come along that often and when the surf’s up you gotta drop everything and go,” the ski site said.
Avalanche conditions were “moderate” in the Mount Baker wilderness backcounty, according to the Northwest Avalanche Center.
This story will be updated.
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This story was originally published January 17, 2020 at 2:30 PM with the headline "More snow for Whatcom. Here’s when the south wind brings a warming trend."
