Snow that's falling in Kitsap County will stick around

Kitsap Sun staff
·2 min read
Kristin Jagodzinske uses a broom to sweep the snow off the sidewalk in front of her Flicka boutique in downtown Poulsbo on a snowy Tuesday.
Kristin Jagodzinske uses a broom to sweep the snow off the sidewalk in front of her Flicka boutique in downtown Poulsbo on a snowy Tuesday.

With snow falling as predicted during a winter storm warning that kicked off Monday and canceled school and many activities on Tuesday, forecasters turned their attention to the rest of the week.

Frigid temperatures are expected to stick around until Friday, keeping the snow around for the next several days, said National Weather Service meteorologist Kirby Cook.

The winter storm warning that started Monday kicked into high gear on Tuesday, with snow falling around the Kitsap Peninsula. The warning remained in effect through Tuesday evening, according to the National Weather Service, with projections of as much as 7 inches possible for Kitsap County. Travel is expected to be difficult.

The two Kitsap school districts not yet on winter break — South Kitsap and Central Kitsap — canceled classes on Tuesday. Puget Sound Naval Shipyard also announced a two-hour delay in its operations, as did the Kitsap County Courthouse and all county offices. The Kitsap Mall in Silverdale announced it would be closed.

Cook said after this system passes, temperatures will continue to be below freezing. A second round of precipitation is forecast, possibly bringing 1-2 inches of snow to some parts of Kitsap County and freezing rain to others, from Thursday to Friday morning.

Heavy snow builds up on the viking statue at Poulsbo's Waterfront Park on Tuesday.
Heavy snow builds up on the viking statue at Poulsbo's Waterfront Park on Tuesday.

Temperatures will begin to rise on Friday into the 30s, Cook said.

Beyond Kitsap County on Tuesday, 5 to 18 inches of snow was expected in the Olympics and the Cascades, with the heaviest amounts over Snoqualmie and Stevens passes. Snow in the mountains could continue into Wednesday.

Youngsters (front sled left to right) Christopher Bowne 2, Jessie Rivere, 2, and Nathan Bowne, 4, race their moms (back sled left to right) Courtney Rivere and Simone Bowne down the sledding hill at the Kitsap Regional Library's Silverdale Branch on Tuesday.
Youngsters (front sled left to right) Christopher Bowne 2, Jessie Rivere, 2, and Nathan Bowne, 4, race their moms (back sled left to right) Courtney Rivere and Simone Bowne down the sledding hill at the Kitsap Regional Library's Silverdale Branch on Tuesday.

The weather service said people should plan on difficult travel with potentially hazardous conditions along Interstate 90, especially over the Cascades. Heavy snow, poor visibility and whiteout conditions prompted officials to tweet that the Washington State Patrol would be enforcing vehicle chain requirements. U.S. 97's Blewett Pass was closed east of Cle Elum earlier Monday because of multiple jackknifed semi-trailer trucks, officials said.

Flights at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport were delayed and canceled throughout Monday. As of 7:40 p.m., nearly 400 domestic flights in and out of the airport had been delayed, with 28 cancellations, according to FlightAware, an online tracker.

Alaska Airlines said it has also canceled roughly 100 flights on Tuesday, “with more cancellations possible, depending on the weather,” KOMO-TV reported.

Christopher Burgess walks down the snowy dock at the Poulsbo Marina on Tuesday.
Christopher Burgess walks down the snowy dock at the Poulsbo Marina on Tuesday.

Cook told the Kitsap Sun on Tuesday that temperatures will continue to warm up over the weekend. Heavy rain could come on Christmas.

Updated winter travel information for motorists can be found at the Washington Department of Transportation's website at https://wsdot.com/travel/real-time/mountainpasses.

Kitsap Sun reporter Peiyu Lin, editor Kimberly Rubenstein and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Snow that's falling in Kitsap County will stick around