Snow still in the forecast; these Whatcom schools resume classes late after winter break
Rain fell and gusty winds howled early Monday, Jan. 3, but snow remained in the forecast for lowland Whatcom County as most students returned to classes after a winter break marked by repeated snowstorms that also damaged several schools.
Temperatures remained in the low 40s, below seasonal norms, but snow or a “wintry mix” of rain and snow was possible at times Tuesday and Wednesday nights, the National Weather Service and Environment Canada said in online forecasts for Bellingham and Abbotsford, B.C.
“Cold front moving south of the area early this morning. Cool upper-level trough behind the front for the with snow levels remaining low today,” meteorologist Dana Felton said online.
Snow was possible at elevations below 1,000 feet, Felton said, which could include Sudden Valley, the Cascades foothills and some hills around Bellingham.
But widespread significant snow accumulation in the lowlands is unlikely, the weather service said in a statement.
Rain mixed with wet snow was expected Monday afternoon, during the day Tuesday, Jan. 4, and Wednesday night, Jan. 5, Environment Canada said in its forecast for communities along the U.S.-Canada border.
“Periods of snow mixed with rain beginning in the morning (Tuesday),” the Canadian weather agency said.
Roads
A warm front breezed through Sunday, along with rain that helped melt much of the compact snow and ice on roads that had made driving treacherous for several days.
Interstate 5 was wet with light traffic and no major delays were reported early Monday in Whatcom County, according to Washington State Department of Transportation cameras.
WSDOT cameras showed a small amount of slush remaining on Guide Meridian through Lynden,
Chains are required on the Mount Baker Highway at 4,250 feet east of Glacier for all vehicles except all-wheel drive.
“There is compact snow and ice on the roadway,” WSDOT said online. “Travelers will experience added travel time and delays due to adverse weather conditions.”
Power outages
Puget Sound Energy reported a handful of small power outages Monday morning, affecting fewer than 1,000 customers despite winds of 20-25 mph gusting from 25-40 mph overnight.
One outage was caused by a traffic collision near Deming, but it was fixed by 7 a.m.
Other outages were reported in downtown Bellingham and in the Puget neighborhood, affecting about 900 customers in total, according to PSE’s online outage map.
Schools
Even so, some Whatcom County schools were closed or starting late with limited bus service Monday:
▪ Classes were starting two hours late Monday in the Blaine and Bellingham districts, with buses on snow routes.
▪ Meridian schools were open Monday, with morning buses on snow routes.
▪ Mount Baker schools were closed Monday because of weather-related damages at two schools, and poor road conditions throughout the rural district.
▪ Bernice Vossbeck Elementary in Lynden will be closed for a week because of damage from the week of frigid weather, and Lynden Academy will be online only through Tuesday, Jan. 4.
▪ No information was available early Monday for Ferndale and Nooksack Valley schools.
Shelters
Both Bellingham and Whatcom County closed their temporary shelters at the Bellingham Public Library and the county’s Civic Building on Sunday, Jan. 2, as temperatures warmed above freezing on New Year’s Day for the first time since Christmas, the city and county said on their social media.
“The closure was precipitated by a water line rupture in the building’s fire-extinguishing system as well as general improvement in weather conditions,” Whatcom County Government said on Facebook.
“The shelter operations were chiefly supported by community volunteers, with organizational and material assistance provided by Serenity Outreach Services Bellingham,” the county said.
Support Officers of Whatcom County also provided volunteer help.
Some 45 people used the night shelter over the week of below-freezing temperatures and two nights with record cold.
About 30 to 40 people daily used the daytime warming site at the library.
Mountains
Snow was falling heavily with windy conditions early Monday, with 2 feet of snow over the past 48 hours, the Mt. Baker Ski Area said online.
Heather Meadows and White Salmon base areas were open but some lifts were not operating.
“Our crew is digging out from the storm this morning so some lifts may be on a storm hold for a bit, but forecasts are looking promising and we plan to have all lifts running today,” the ski area said.
More than 8 feet of snow has fallen at the ski area over the past two weeks.
“That’s an incredible amount of light, dry blower powder and we even had some blue sky days mixed in,” the ski area said.
Meanwhile, avalanche danger was listed as “high” in the Mount Baker wilderness, according to the Northwest Avalanche Center.
“Large natural and human-triggered avalanches will continue through Monday, especially in areas where wind deposited thick drifts of snow on steep slopes,’ the avalanche center said online. “Pay attention to where this heavier snow lies, search for signs of recent avalanches and cracking in the snow, and avoid steep slopes in those areas and the lower angle terrain beneath them.”
Forecast
Snow was possible Tuesday and Wednesday nights in the Whatcom County lowlands, according to both U.S. and Canadian forecasting services.
“Additional chances for lowland snow exist this week, with low temperatures hovering near or just above freezing,” the National Weather Service said in an email. “The highest chances will be across western Whatcom County, the Northern Olympic foothills and Cascade foothills Wednesday night into Thursday.”
This story was originally published January 3, 2022 at 5:18 AM.
