Arctic air locks Whatcom in a deep freeze this week. Monday starts at -14 with windchill
Arctic air held Whatcom County in a deep freeze of single-digit temperatures as fierce winds ripped the lowlands from Sumas to Bellingham on top of two-day snowfall totals of a foot or more.
Travel was difficult because many streets were covered in a layer of compact snow that turned to ice as temperatures continued to plummet well below seasonal norms.
National Weather Service readings from Bellingham International Airport showed 9 degrees at 3 a.m. Monday, Dec. 27, with winds at 25 mph and gusting to 45 mph.
That’s a wind-chill factor of -12 degrees, and it dropped to -14 degrees at 5 a.m. amid warnings for high winds and brutal wind chills through mid-morning on Monday.
“Conditions out here are bad,” said Rudy Flores, who lives on a farm southwest of Everson.
“The winds have been strong enough that coupled with the 12F temperature that we’ve had out here that we did not bring out our tractor to clear our driveway and the neighborhood access road,” Flores told The Bellingham Herald.
“We have no idea if Central Road has been plowed. But with the strong winds, there’s a very good likelihood that the road has drifted again. Hopefully the diminishing winds will allow us to get our clearing done,” he said in an email.
Power was out for about 2,000 Puget Sound Energy customers in scattered locations from Glacier to Ferndale, down from several thousand customers without electricity on Sunday, Dec. 26.
Biting cold air from the Fraser River Valley of British Columbia mixed with moisture from the southwest, dumping snow across the Puget Sound lowlands and hitting Whatcom County especially hard from Saturday, Dec. 25, and lasting into Sunday.
A low of 9 degrees Sunday broke a daily temperature record of 12 degrees from 1971.
Sunday’s high temperature of 16 degrees was nearly 30 degrees below the normal 45 degrees for Dec. 26.
“Unseasonably cold temperatures will continue this week with a threat of lowland snow at times,” the National Weather Service said online.
St. Joseph hospital saw two cases of frostbite, one fall on the ice, three ice-related car accidents and three skiing accidents in the last 48 hours, according to a Peace Health spokesperson Monday mid-day.
Warming shelters
Bellingham and Whatcom County officials used a pair of Whatcom Transportation Authority buses parked downtown as temporary warming shelters for homeless people Sunday, according to a joint statement from County Executive Satpal Sidhu and Bellingham Mayor Seth Fleetwood, posted on the county’s Facebook page.
“We are prepared to make additional public spaces available as needed if existing shelter facilities become full,” the statement said.
No one used the buses for shelter Sunday night, and Whatcom County officials are still examining their shelter options for Monday night, said WTA spokeswoman Maureen McCarthy.
A warming shelter opened at the Bellingham Public Library from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., the city of Bellingham said on its Facebook page.
“Availability remains in our shelter system, including at Base Camp, its drop-in center, and the Northwest Youth Services site at Civic Field. We are prepared to make additional public spaces available as needed if existing shelter facilities become full,” the city said.
Ferndale was operating a warming shelter staffed by volunteers at United Church of Ferndale through Tuesday, according to the city’s Facebook page.
In Kendall, the East Whatcom Regional Resource Center was open as a warming shelter.
Whatcom forecast
No relief was in sight for several days, the National Weather Service said in its daily online briefing.
“Highs will struggle to reach freezing most of the week across most of the lowlands. Refreeze likely every day,” the weather service said.
“Very cold temperatures will impact vulnerable populations such as the homeless, pets, and those without adequate access to heating. Exposed pipes may be damaged by freezing conditions. Sensitive crops/plants may be killed,” the weather service said.
Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 28, were expected to be clear and cold, with highs in the 20s and lows in the teens.
But a pair of weather systems could bring more lowland snow late Wednesday and on Saturday.
“The best chance for area-wide snow accumulations looks to be on Thursday,” the weather service said.
Roads, closures
Interstate 5 through Bellingham was clear, according to Washington State Department of Transportation cameras.
Traffic was light at 5 a.m. Monday, but the southbound lanes were slowing near Samish Way from a crash that was blocking the right lane, WSDOT tweeted.
Snow-clearing crews from WSDOT, Whatcom County and cities like Bellingham worked through the holiday weekend.
Crews were clearing streets and roads under a system that prioritizes busier streets, transit routes and access for emergency vehicles.
“Currently, many of the roads in Whatcom County are hard-packed snow and ice which results in very treacherous conditions for driving. As always, the best bet is to stay home,” the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook.
Whatcom Transportation Authority, the countywide bus agency, reported several delays Sunday, according to its Twitter page.
Buses were not driving the steep Alabama Hill section of Alabama Street from Electric Avenue to Woburn Street and were using Lake Louise Road for their return trip to downtown Bellingham because Lake Whatcom Boulevard was blocked at Sudden Valley Drive.
Two morning flights were canceled at Bellingham airport Monday, but it was unknown if the Alaska and Southwest routes were affected by weather or pandemic-related staffing shortages.
Schools across Whatcom County were on winter break, so no closures were reported.
Whatcom Community College offices were closed and special services canceled for Monday, according to an email from the school.
PeaceHealth Medical Group clinics were open normal hours on Monday, according to its Facebook page.
“But if you are unable to get to your scheduled appointment or have concerns about safely doing so, please give us a call. Same goes for procedures scheduled at our PeaceHealth St. Joseph, PeaceHealth United General and PeaceHealth Peace Island hospitals. Please leave extra time and be very careful driving,” PeaceHealth said.
The COVID-19 testing site at the airport was closed Monday due to weather, according to the Whatcom County Health Department. People with symptoms of COVID-19 or who are close contacts can call the agency at 360-778-6075 or email it at health_testingcovid19@co.whatcom.wa.us for help scheduling an alternate testing appointment. The department lists other local COVID-19 testing providers at WhatcomCounty.US/CovidTesting.
Whatcom mountains
Mt. Baker Ski Area was open Monday, and the Mount Baker Highway was open with compact snow and ice and traction tires required, WSDOT said online.
“The ski area is protected from the Fraser Outflow winds by the peaks to our north, so even when it’s ripping in the county the winds can be light up here. We’ve also got a great base going and have received over 250 inches of total snowfall for the season,” the ski area said online.
Nearly 2 feet of snow fell over the past two days, the ski area said.
Avalanche danger was “considerable” in the Mount Baker wilderness, the Northwest Avalanche Center said online.
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This story was originally published December 27, 2021 at 5:22 AM.
