Morning snow covered roads in Whatcom. Some schools closed, others delayed
Light snow began falling around Bellingham and parts of lowland Whatcom County early Tuesday, Feb. 28 — the last day of meteorological winter.
Schools across the region began to announce closings, delays and other changes because of snow, which had accumulated from about an inch in Bellingham to 3 inches in rural northwest Whatcom County.
A winter weather advisory remained in effect through noon Tuesday for lowland Western Washington, with up to 2 inches of snow possible.
But snow was expected to stop and temperatures were expected to warm on Tuesday afternoon toward a forecast high of 40 degrees.
Partly sunny skies with a high of 41 was forecast for Wednesday, March 1, about 10 degrees cooler than normal for the March 1 start of meteorological spring in Bellingham.
Rain or showers with a high of 45 was in the forecast for Thursday, March 2.
Another round of snow was possible for the weekend, however.
Tuesday’s snow began around 4 a.m., and schools north of Bellingham had to quickly adapt their schedules to changing conditions, starting first with delays and buses on snow routes and finally canceling classes altogether.
▪ Schools in Blaine, Ferndale, Meridian and Mount Baker districts announced closures about 8 a.m. Tuesday, citing worsening conditions.
“We will continue to monitor and provide updates as needed,” Ferndale schools said at their website. around 6 a.m.
▪ Classes started normally in Bellingham schools, but buses were on snow routes.
▪ Classes in Lynden were on time, with no out-of-district transportation.
▪ Schools in Nooksack Valley were on time.
No other Whatcom County schools had closed or were reporting late starts or buses on snow routes at 9 a.m. Tuesday.
Even so, commuters should be alert for “potentially challenging travel conditions. The heaviest snow is expected Tuesday morning,” the National Weather Service in Seattle said a tweet Monday afternoon, Feb. 27.
About a half-inch to an inch of new snow was on the ground and sticking to roads outside Bellingham at 5 a.m., according to observations, traffic cameras and social media posts.
Red Square at Western Washington University wore a dusting of new snow at 5 a.m., as did the runway at Bellingham International Airport.
No weather-related flight delays were posted at 9 a.m.
Light rain was falling closer to sea level in Bellingham, but it switched to snow around 7 a.m. and began to accumulate slowly on yards and sidewalks.
Roads downtown remained wet and mostly clear of snow.
Washington State Department of Transportation traffic cameras showed that Interstate 5 was wet and snow-free at the Lakeway Drive and Meridian Street exits.
Cameras showed wet pavement on the freeway at Birch Bay-Lynden Road and at Main Street and Guide Meridian in Lynden.
A few collisions were reported early Tuesday on the emergency services app Pulse Point, mostly on rural roads north of Bellingham.
This story was originally published February 28, 2023 at 8:59 AM.
