Here’s how much snow the Olympia area could get over the next few days
The Olympia area could see about 3 inches of snow from Thursday to Saturday, according to a Wednesday forecast by the National Weather Service in Seattle.
In a post on X, the NWS predicted the Olympia area will get anywhere from 0 to 14 inches of snow Thursday to Saturday. However, 3 inches represented the best forecast.
The chance of snow in Olympia comes after the region was hit with a Monday night windstorm that caused power outages for thousands of Puget Sound Energy customers Tuesday and into Wednesday.
Temperatures are expected to drop to the mid 20s Thursday night and peak in the low 30s this weekend, per the forecast. Overnight lows may even fall into the teens.
That’s because a colder air mass will move south and settle over Western Washington through Saturday, according to the forecast. Meanwhile an offshore weather system is expected to move inland later Friday and overrun the cold air, producing snow.
However, the NWS says there’s still much uncertainty about where the weather system will move inland. The latest models favor the system moving toward Southwest Washington.
The forecast has already resulted in at least one notable closure. The Olympia Farmers Market announced Wednesday that it will be closed on Saturday in anticipation of inclement weather.
“We’ve decided to cancel the market this Saturday to ensure the well-being of our vendors, staff and customers,” the market said in a Facebook post. “Your safety and comfort are paramount to us.”
As a taste of possible things to come, some residents of south Thurston County woke Wednesday to find a light layer of snow on the ground, but it melted quickly as temperatures rose into the 40s. Further south in Lewis County, some school districts were delayed or closed by snowfall.
A colder airmass will continue to settle across W. WA that will help increase snowfall chances Thu-Sat, though considerable uncertainty remains in the track of a surface low Sat. Here are possible forecast snowfall ranges.#WAwx pic.twitter.com/xWilTW5FRB
— NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) January 10, 2024
Thurston County issues a Hazardous Weather Advisory
In response to the forecast, Thurston County Public Health and Social Services issued a new “Hazardous Weather” advisory Wednesday.
That means the county will increase shelter-in-place efforts and offer extended nightly shelter beds from Thursday night to Tuesday morning, according to a county news release.
Overnight emergency shelter for adults over 18 will be offered at Sergio’s Place at 3444 Martin Way Northeast, per the release. The shelter will be open overnight from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. and pets are welcome. Anyone with questions about Sergio’s Place can call 360-706-2287.
Families with children can find nightly shelter at Pear Blossom Place, located at 837 7th Ave. Southeast in Olympia. A door bell must be rung to enter.
Meanwhile, young adults ages 24 and under can find nightly shelter at Rosie’s Place, located at 520 Pear Street Southeast in Olympia. Those interested in Rosie’s Place can call 360-918-7879 starting at 9 a.m. on weekdays.
More shelter options for single adults are available at Union Gospel Mission in Olympia. Single men can also find shelter at St. Michael’s Parish in Olympia and Sacred Heart in Lacey, according to the release.
Additionally, the release says Olympia Mutual Aid Partners will distribute more survival supplies to individuals and families living outside.
The public can donated needed items at Sergio’s Place donation collection entrance, located at 3501 Mary Elder Road Northeast. Donations will only be accepted 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.
Acceptable items include blankets, bed sheets, ramen, non-perishable snacks, instant coffee, creamer, hot tea, hot chocolate, disposable cups and utensils, socks, underwear, tarps, ponchos, hand warmers, tents, sleeping bags, warm clothing and more.
When will power outages be resolved?
Meanwhile, PSE’s online outage map still showed dozens of smaller outages scattered throughout Thurston County as of Wednesday morning. In a 6 a.m. update, PSE said it expected to restore power for all county residents by 6 p.m. Wednesday.
The update indicates crews have restored power to more than 98% of affected residents in Western Washington.
“Many of the remaining outages are impacting small pockets of customers,” the update says. “Crews are going neighborhood by neighborhood to restore distribution electric service, which gets restored in much smaller numbers, such as 5, 10, or 20 customers at a time.”
As of 9:45 a.m. Wednesday, PSE reported 75 active outages and 2,211 impacted customers in Western Washington. At about noon Tuesday, PSE had about 28,000 customers without power.
“We understand the stress and disruption that outages can cause on your family and plans,” the PSE update says. “Please know our crews and support staff will continue to work around the clock as conditions allow until all power is restored.”
