Springtime snow surprises North Olympic Peninsula
Snow falls at Lake Sutherland's Mallard Cove about 10 miles west of Port Angeles on Saturday -- one month after the start of spring. -- Photo by Dave Weikel/Peninsula Daily News
By Brian Gawley, Peninsula Daily News
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Snow fell in varying degrees in the foothills, and sometimes on the flats, in Clallam and Jefferson counties on Friday and Saturday, and more might be coming.
The unusual conditions resulted in only two reported road closures, but left many roadways dangerous.
"Right now, U.S. Highway 101 will be closed for a few miles at Milepost 233 [Shadow Mountain General Store] until the state Department of Transportation arrives, because it's snowing pretty good at Lake Crescent," said State Patrol Trooper Matt Phillips at about 6 p.m. Saturday.
"Other than that, there's just a lot of one-car-in-the-ditch wrecks due to the snow," he said.
About 7:30 p.m. Saturday, a fallen tree was reported blocking Olympic Hot Springs Road just past the Glines Canyon Dam.
National Weather Service meteorologist Mike McFarland from Seattle said any snow that fell in Port Townsend didn't stick.
The temperature there at about 8:30 p.m. was reported as 36 degrees.
The snow advisory that was issued for the area was for the foothills of the Olympic Mountains, he said.
"Whether you get icy roads will depend upon the rain showers stopping, the skies clearing and temperature dropping," McFarland said.
The weather caused widespread cancellations of high school sporting events, with a notable exception, the Sequim High School Wolves and Bremerton High School Knights baseball game in Kitsap County.
Accumulation on West End
Clallam County Deputy Bill Cortani reported snow and rain in the Beaver area Saturday afternoon.
The roads were clear, but about one and a half inches had accumulated on the ground as of about 4 p.m., he said.
Johnny Burg, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Seattle, said the unusual weather was due to cold air meeting moisture in the Puget Sound convergence zone.
"We had a really cold low pressure system from the Gulf of Alaska, and the cold air generated a lot more cold air," he said.
"Then the convergence zone brought the precipitation," he said.
"Then with the heavy precipitation in the convergence zone, that brings down even more cold air and keeps it as snow."
More snow elsewhere
Elsewhere had it worse, with as much as 10 inches of snow reported in parts of Snohomish County, and even more snow reported in the Cascade Mountains.
A heavy snow warning was in effect Saturday for the Everett area and the east Puget Sound lowlands.
Seven inches of snow were reported late Friday on Snoqualmie Pass and 9 inches at Stevens Pass.
Looking ahead
The weather service forecast doesn't indicate much of a break from the unseasonably cold weather across the North Olympic Peninsula.
Showers, with possible morning snow showers, are expected today from Port Ludlow to Forks.
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Reporter Brian Gawley can be reached at 360-417-3532 or brian.gawley@peninsuladailynews.com.
Last modified: April 19. 2008 9:00PM