Most schools delayed and forecast calls for more snow in Whatcom County
Most schools in northwest Whatcom County will be starting late on Wednesday in the face of unseasonably cold temperatures and drifting snow on rural roads.
No snow was recorded at Bellingham International Airport overnight, and the mercury held at 25 degrees with a wind chill of 13 at 6 a.m. Wednesday. Light snow fell for about an hour about 6:30 a.m.
More snow could be on the way for Wednesday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service in Seattle.
“While it’s tough to pinpoint exactly where the heaviest snowfall will occur, this next round has the potential to bring more widespread accumulating snowfall to areas across the interior, especially from Olympia to Arlington, than what we have seen over the last several days,” meteorologist Kayla Mazurkiewicz said in the online forecast discussion.
Latest probabilities show a 40-60 percent chance of at least 1 inch of snow from Chehalis to Everett, Mazurkiewicz said.
Daytime temperatures will remain in the low 30s Wednesday, with northeast winds between 5 and 10 mph and a 40 percent chance of snow showers in the Whatcom County lowlands.
Road conditions varied early Wednesday, according to social media posts and traffic cameras. Main roads in Bellingham were clear but others around the county were covered in compact snow and ice.
Freezing conditions could create black ice or other hazards.
“Whether your snow stuck around or melted (Tuesday) — whatever’s left is going to freeze (overnight). Plan for possible slick conditions overnight and during Wednesday morning’s commute. Remember, speed limits are for ideal conditions. Slow down, give each other space, don’t crowd the plow,” the Washington State Department of Transportation tweeted.
Blaine, Ferndale and Lummi Nation schools are closed Wednesday. Bellingham schools are on time with buses on snow routes.
Schools in the Lynden, Meridian, Mount Baker and Nooksack Valley districts are on delayed starts Wednesday, school officials said online.
Lynden will start two hours late with morning buses on snow routes; Meridian will start two hours late with morning and afternoon buses on snow routes and no morning preschool; Mount Baker will have a 90-minute late arrival schedule with all buses on snow routes and no morning preschool or out-of-district transportation; Nooksack Valley Schools will run two hours late and morning and afternoon preschools are canceled. The district will reassess road conditions in the morning and confirm the delay by 6 a.m. Wednesday.
Road conditions in rural areas north of Bellingham hadn’t changed much Tuesday because of overnight snow and brisk Fraser Outflow winds, Whatcom County Public Works Department spokeswoman Mandy Feutz told The Bellingham Herald.
Snowfall varied across Whatcom County, according to readings from the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network, a citizen science organization. The National Weather Service doesn’t keep snowfall records for Bellingham. Areas near Blaine had about 9 inches of snow since Sunday night, Ferndale had 5 inches, Bellingham had an inch and areas south and east of Bellingham got about 3 to 4 inches.
“The ongoing drifts mean we remain focused on our priority roads in north and east county. A map of these routes is available on the Whatcom County Travel Planner. The wind is anticipated to end late afternoon tomorrow, which should allow us to get ahead of things,” Feutz said in an email.
Many Whatcom County roads remained covered in compact snow and ice, according to traffic cameras and observations.
“Due to icy conditions, we ask that drivers continue to limit unnecessary trips out. Cars parked alongside the roadway make it difficult and sometimes impossible for snow plows to do their work,” she said.
It was a different situation in much of Bellingham, where main roads were clear of snow or only or mildly slushy.
Any melting during the day will result in black ice overnight, the National Weather Service said.
Forecasters warned of another snowstorm Wednesday afternoon.
“There is a risk of heavier snowfall somewhere between Arlington and Olympia on Wednesday afternoon to early Thursday morning. However, confidence in exact placement and timing remains low,” the weather service said.
Dangerous avalanche conditions will continue through midweek in the Mount Baker wilderness, the Northwest Avalanche Center said online.
At the Mt. Baker Ski Area, more than 3 feet of new snow in the past four days has everyone looking forward to Friday’s Legendary Banked Slalom.
“The crew is hard at work getting the Legendary Banked Slalom course and infrastructure set up! Aaaand getting a few pow turns in here and there … makes course setup an awesomely fun challenge!” the ski area said at its website.
This story was originally published February 4, 2025 at 5:29 PM.
