Bellingham was just 4 degrees from this record temp; commute was icy. Here’s what’s coming
Whatcom County should expect another round of potentially significant lowland snow late Monday into Tuesday, followed by much colder temperatures Wednesday and Thursday with another chance of snow Thursday afternoon into Friday morning, according to the National Weather Service.
There is a greater chance for snow Tuesday, Dec. 20, with one to three inches possible in the lowlands, two to four inches in Maple Falls and the foothills, and three to five inches in the Newhalem area, according to a Whatcom County advisory. “Wind from the northeast is still predicted for the Sumas area so people living in the Sumas, Lynden, and Everson areas should expect some drifting to occur in places.”
No snow was recorded overnight Sunday-Monday, Dec. 18-19, but temperatures dropped to 16 degrees, leaving many Whatcom County roads icy, according to the National Weather Service.
“Most places at or below freezing. Be careful on the commute early this morning. Roads could be icy, especially ones with little traffic,” the service Tweeted at 4 a.m., Monday, Dec. 19.
Records for Bellingham International Airport show .07 of an inch of snow fell there Sunday, Dec. 18, and a trace of snow was recorded there just before 8 a.m. Monday. Light snow continued Monday in other areas of Whatcom County.
Washington State Department of Transportation camera showed dry pavement on Interstate 5 near Lakeway just before 6 a.m.
“Snow and wintry mixed precipitation that fell on surfaces last night and into early this morning will have likely remained frozen, so make sure to travel carefully,” the Monday morning weather service forecast said. Temperatures Monday will be cold, with highs topping out in the 30s.
The roads looked pretty good Monday morning, according to Marty Gray, Bellingham Public Works Operations superintendent of operations on Monday.
“We had a full crew out yesterday spreading salt and sand and doing some minor snow plowing. We ran all of our normal routes that consist of the main arterials and the WTA bus routes. Even though schools are on Christmas break this week, we plow it around the schools and spread salt extracurricular activities such as basketball practices are still continuing to go on,” Gray reported to the city.
“We’re going to have a crew out today hitting the routes in some of the hotspots to ensure that we hit all of the slick spots. Most of the routes that we hit yesterday are starting to actually become bare and dry. It was a good group effort by everyone here at Public Works Operations.”
He said the city will also continue to spread salt in the Lake Whatcom Watershed and the downtown areas and will be running the two de-icing trucks on the streets Monday with the anticipation of 3 to 5 more inches of snow that will occur in the next 24 hours.
Ferndale crews are working around the clock to keep priority routes clear for emergency services, the city wrote on social media. The city recommended staying off the roads, if you can.
“That last-minute holiday shopping is tempting but it isn’t worth getting stuck in a ditch. Go slow. If you must drive, give yourself plenty of space and take it slow. It will be slippery, especially as things freeze and refreeze overnight,” the Ferndale post said.
Monday was forecast to be mostly sunny, with a high near 24 and wind chill values between zero and 10.
The record low for Dec. 19 is 12 degrees, set in 1990.
With more snow expected Tuesday, the weather service said it will be cold through at least Thursday, Dec. 22, with a warming trend expected to begin on Friday, Dec. 23, with a return to a more typical rainy December pattern for the holidays.
“It’s icy out there!,” Bellingham Public Works Tweeted. “Even if there isn’t a ton of snow where you are, the roads are still very slick. Be prepared no matter where you’re headed, and check forecasts regularly.”
The department reminded drivers to:
▪ Remove all snow and ice from vehicles, especially windows, mirrors, and lights.
▪ Reduce speeds and increase following distances.
▪ Slow down around snow plows.
▪ “Drive with care, even if the roads have been treated.”
River flooding is not expected through much of the week ahead, according to the weather service. “However, a warm-up is expected to begin around Thursday or Friday and into the weekend. This, along with a few rounds of heavier rain and rising snow levels, may lead to rises on many rivers over the weekend.”
Bertrand Creek at the international boundary got within a foot of its maximum operating limit of 13.4 feet at 5 a.m. Monday but was down to 8 feet at 6 a.m.
The county reported Nooksack River gauges all showed the river level steady. “The extended range modeling does show the river level coming up some after Christmas. All gauges continue to show it will remain below flood levels. Snow, instead of rain in the higher elevations, means less water draining into the rivers at this time and the water that does drain into the system can easily be handled by current river channel.”
This story was originally published December 19, 2022 at 5:32 AM.
