These hazards linger after Whatcom County’s late winter snowfall
Sunny skies and a high of 40 degrees was the forecast for the first day of meteorological spring, but temperatures remain about 10 degrees below normal for this time of year, and more snow is possible in Bellingham and lowland Whatcom County at least through the weekend.
Slippery streets were possible early Wednesday morning, March 1, because overnight temperatures fell below freezing, said Reid Wolcott, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Seattle.
“Mostly dry conditions are expected Wednesday through the afternoon. Wednesday morning will be the coldest of this week with temperatures in the lowlands dropping into the upper 20s. This may result in icy conditions on untreated wet surfaces,” Wolcott said in the online forecast discussion.
Meteorological spring is March 1, because scientists use monthly groupings such as March-April-May to designate the seasons, rather than using the solstices and equinoxes that occur mid-month and often have an unequal number of days.
“The next system arrives Wednesday night bringing yet another round of widespread precipitation and breezy conditions.,” Wolcott said.
South winds gusting to 45 mph are possible Wednesday night, strong enough to cause a few isolated power outages.
Rain is in the forecast through Thursday, March 2, with snow levels at 800 to 1,800 feet.
Heavy snow is likely in the North Cascades, where avalanche conditions were “considerable” in the Mount Baker wilderness, according to the Northwest Avalanche Center.
Snow levels will drop below 500 feet Thursday night into Friday morning, March 3, meaning there’s another chance for early morning snow or a rain-snow mix, especially in the hillier parts of Bellingham.
