Whatcom County residents wake up to first major snowfall of the winter season

Snow blanketed lowland Whatcom County on Wednesday morning as a storm swept in from the south, slowly chasing away the weeklong Arctic chill, closing schools and slowing traffic.

Snow was expected to stop by early Wednesday afternoon, as a warm front moves into Western Washington, the National Weather Service in Seattle said online. Wednesday’s forecast high was 35 degrees — the warmest temperature in a week but still about 10 degrees below mid-January norms.

More light snow and possibly freezing rain was possible Thursday night and Friday morning, meteorologist Matthew Cullen said online.

“Wintry precipitation will continue in the mountains with the potential lingering in parts of the lowlands for the next few days. Temperatures will slowly warm up through the week, bringing a return to normal temperatures and a more typical pattern of rain in the lowlands,” Cullen said.

“We will also need to monitor river levels along the Nooksack River in Whatcom County as the warm up occurs with the potential for ice jam flooding,” Cullen said.

Whatcom County’s Division of Emergency Management, which is part of the Sheriff’s Office, was reporting “significant ice buildup” on the Nooksack River, and the county’s River and Flood Division was keeping an eye on the conditions.

There were no immediate flooding concerns on the Nooksack River, according to the Northwest River Forecast Center.

More snow was possible Thursday, along with freezing rain on Friday according to the forecast.

Wednesday snowfall

Many city streets and Interstate 5 were covered with an inch to several inches of snow at 4:30 a.m. Wednesday. Traffic was slow in both directions of I-5 through Bellingham at 10 a.m., according to an online map from the Washington State Department of Transportation.

Most major roads, streets and the freeway had been plowed at least once, but snow was continuing to accumulate slowly at 10 a.m., according to webcams, social media posts, and observations submitted to The Bellingham Herald.

Snow was still falling at 11 a.m. in Sudden Valley, where 5 inches of snow was reported. Accumulations of between 5 and 7 inches were reported from Bellingham to Lynden by mid-morning. Heaviest lowland snow was in the western and northern lowlands that were exposed to colder air from British Columbia.

Snowfall totals at 7 a.m. were between a half-inch south of Lake Samish to almost 7 inches near Sumas, according to online data from the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network, a citizen science website.

“Road conditions vary widely throughout town, so please exercise caution when walking, biking, or driving,” the city of Bellingham said on its Facebook page.

Bellingham has more than 900 “lane miles” of roads to plow, and its priorities are commuter and bus routes and other major streets.

Whatcom Transportation Authority buses were chained and operating with detours on several routes, including Sudden Valley and routes on hills near WWU, according to a WTA tweet. Zone rides were canceled.

Bus service halted

Whatcom Transportation Authority shut down its bus service at noon Wednesday. In a news release, the WTA announced many bus routes were blocked by disabled vehicles, and several buses have become disabled themselves.

People left on buses this morning were encouraged to contact the WTA at 360-676-7433, and staff would work to provide transportation home.

It was the first time the WTA has had to stop buses since 1996, 27 years ago. During the previous incident, service was canceled before any buses left for their routes.

Schools, other closures

Classes were canceled for schools in the Bellingham, Blaine, Ferndale, Lynden, Meridian, Mount Baker, Nooksack Valley and Lummi Nation districts. Lynden Christian schools were closed. Bellingham Technical College, Whatcom Community College and Western Washington University canceled classes for the day.

The Bellingham School District announced late Wednesday afternoon that all district schools will be closed Thursday as well. The Lummi Nation School also is closed Thursday, according to a Wednesday afternoon email.

Bellingham Public Library and all Whatcom County library locations were closed Wednesday, and the Bookmobile stop in Birch Bay was canceled. Library Express locations at Point Roberts Library and Sumas Library and at 5205 Northwest Drive will be open regular hours, county library officials said online.

The Arne Hanna Aquatic Center was closed.

Bellingham Municipal Court services were limited to morning jail hearings, with most other court proceedings postponed, the city said online.

The YMCA in Bellingham was open, but its early learning centers and BASE programs were canceled. Fitness classes, swimming lessons and youth sports were canceled.

Roads, travel conditions

National Weather Service observations at Bellingham International Airport showed light snow and mist with a temperature of 28 degrees at 5 a.m. An Alaska Airlines flight to Seattle and two Southwest Airlines flights were delayed, but it was unknown if the situations were related to weather.

“Those who need to be out early this morning should expect conditions to vary with many spots just wet and others remaining slick. Untreated and residential side streets, sidewalks, and elevated surfaces are most likely to remain icy,” National Weather Service meteorologist Matthew Cullen said online.

Crashes were blocking at least one lane of traffic on southbound I-5 north of Sunset Drive and near Samish Way early Wednesday, according to the Pulse Point emergency services app and WSDOT tweets.

Puget Sound Energy reported no major power outages in Whatcom County.

Mount Baker wilderness

Mt. Baker Ski Area was open with 4 inches of new snow and a winter storm warning for up to 2 feet of snow. Avalanche danger was high in the Mount Baker wilderness, the Northwest Avalanche Center reported at its website.

Mount Baker Highway was open with compact snow and ice on the roadway and chains required on all vehicles without all wheel drive, WSDOT said online.

Forecasters warned about the possibility of freezing rain amid lingering cold from a persistent Fraser Outflow that gave Bellingham three days of record low temperatures, the coldest in more than 70 years.

Whatcom County Public Works said there were reports of freezing rain around late Tuesday night as its crews worked 12-hour rotations on a round-the-clock schedule to plow its 940 “road miles.”

“Please slow down, increasing your following distance, and give our trucks plenty of room to work,” Public Works said on its Facebook page.

WSDOT maintains 557 “road miles” in Whatcom County, including Interstate 5 and state highways such as Pole and Badger roads. Its crews, as well as Bellingham’s, were also working 24/7.