Bellingham gets an early taste of winter and Whatcom is under a wind advisory
Many Bellingham and Whatcom County residents made their morning commutes Monday, Nov. 7, amid the first lowland snow flurries of the season as frigid air is heading south from British Columbia in a weather pattern more common in winter than fall.
No significant snow accumulation is forecast, but a wind advisory is in effect for northeast winds at 20 to 35 mph with gusts up to 50 mph through 10 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 8.
It’s caused by a phenomenon called the Fraser Outflow, where brutally cold arctic air rips through the Fraser River Valley toward northwest Whatcom County.
“Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result,” the National Weather Service in Seattle said online.
Lingering showers from last weekend’s atmospheric river storm — which dropped nearly half of Bellingham’s normal November rainfall in two days — produced some flurries Monday but fair skies and sharply colder temperatures are on tap for the rest of this week.
Daytime highs will be in the low to mid-40s with overnight lows at the freezing level or below.
That forecast prompted the city of Bellingham and Whatcom County to open a joint shelter managed by the nonprofit Road2Home on Monday and Tuesday nights for those who are living outside.
This story was originally published November 7, 2022 at 10:26 AM.
