Whatcom County woke up covered in compact snow and ice. Here’s the latest Saturday
Whatcom County woke up covered in compact snow and ice Saturday, Dec. 24, but the ice started to melt as the sun rose and the temperature reached 54 degrees at 7:40 a.m. at Bellingham International Airport.
Road conditions in Bellingham are improving as temperatures warm, according to a city news release.
“Other areas in Whatcom County are slower to thaw and difficult travel conditions remain in many locations,” the release said. “Drivers should continue to use caution and avoid travel in areas where compact snow and ice remain. Give yourself extra time, know your abilities and the abilities of your vehicle, and be considerate of other drivers.”
Falling trees and tree branches remain a concern as winds increase today while trees remain heavy with ice, the release said.
North Whatcom County remains very hazardous, according to Roland Middleton, spokesman for the Whatcom County Public Works Administration.
“Even in areas that look clear have patches of ice,” he said in an email to The Bellingham Herald. County crews are working with first responders to help get people off the road, he said, adding stuck cars continue to be a real problem.
A winter weather advisory had been issued for freezing rain from Bellingham northward Saturday morning, according to the weather service’s 6 a.m. update, which called for light additional ice accumulations.
A winter weather advisory was also issued for the Northern Washington Cascades of Whatcom and Skagit counties for up to 6 inches of snow before the precipitation changes to rain in the mountains and freezing rain in the Cascade valleys of Whatcom county Saturday morning.
Wind gusts of up to 50 miles per hour were possible Saturday morning in western Whatcom County, according to the weather service.
Temperatures at Bellingham International Airport cracked freezing at 3 a.m. Saturday, and the weather service recorded 34 degrees and light rain falling at 5:20 a.m.
Inbound and outbound flights were mostly on time, according to the port’s online listings. The airport tweeted the runway opened at 9:45 a.m.
A wind advisory is in effect Saturday through 4 p.m. and “rapidly changing weather conditions could impact roads, electricity, and the Nooksack River,” according to an email from the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office Division of Emergency Management late Friday.
Puget Sound Energy reported 6,700 customers with 162 power outages, 98 of which appear to be in Whatcom County, according to its online map at 10:45 a.m. That was down to 164 outages, 79 in Whatcom, impacted fewer than 5,000 customers at 4 p.m.
Friday night was another very productive night for operations crews, according to a Saturday morning city email with information from Mike Olinger, assistant director of operations for Public Works.
“Most all arterials and bus route are bare and wet now, with some slushy sections especially in turn lanes. Side streets are mostly slushy with a lot of streets already clearing up. Overall, conditions in the City of Bellingham are really good! Conditions in the north county are not the same.
“Our main concern over the next couple of hours is that winds are increasing with the next rain front that is coming and we still have a lot of ice on the trees. Crews have already responded to a number of trees over the roadway this morning. To report downed trees or for other service requests, please call the 24/7 response line at 360-778-7700, Olinger said.
Roads appeared slick on Washington State Department of Transportation cameras early Saturday. The agency posted at midnight that roads would refreeze overnight, creating another difficult travel morning.
“The latest Northwest River Forecast Center Nooksack River model shows the Nooksack River level bumping up against the minor flood level at two of three river gauges we monitor,” according to a Friday evening, Dec. 23, email from Wally Kost, Whatcom County emergency management spokesman.
The National Weather Service has in the last couple of hours put out a Flood Watch, he said. “Aside from the flood watch, the Winter Storm Warning continues for the east part of the county and many of the west parts of the county are only beginning to thaw from the freezing rain that fell earlier. All this is on top of the snow from Monday and Tuesday and then wind-driven snow Wednesday.”
Mt. Baker Ski Area recorded 7 inches of new snow in the last 24 hours, but closed for Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 25 “due to this unusual mix of ice, wind and rain in the forecast for tomorrow and Sunday, as well as so much uncertainty around how this weather will affect road conditions.”
This story was originally published December 24, 2022 at 5:47 AM.
