The National Weather Service has a blizzard warning in effect for the Olympic Peninsula — particularly the West End and Olympic Mountains — for wind gusts of 50 mph (75 mph in the Olympic Mountains) while heavy snows fall.
The lone exceptions: Port Angeles, Sequim and Port Townsend, which lie in the fabled rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains. In those cities, snow of less than 3 inches is expected, and chilly winds aren’t expected to gust past 30 mph — typical for a storm.
Communities along Hood Canal are in the path of a winter storm warning and will see snow, but blizzard conditions with high winds are not expected.
Here is the latest on the blizzard warning from the Weather Service. For updates, click on http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/sew/ and use the interactive map to your community.
A BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM PST SUNDAY.
NORTH COAST AND WESTERN STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA: THE COMBINATION
OF HEAVY BLINDING SNOW AND EAST WINDS GUSTING TO AROUND 60 MPH WILL CREATE BLIZZARD CONDITIONS TONIGHT.
THIS WILL AFFECT LAND AREAS ALONG THE STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA SUCH AS CLALLAM BAY, SEKIU AND NEAH BAY. STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL IN THESE AREAS IS EXPECTED TO BE 9 TO 15 INCHES.
THE STRONG WINDS TONIGHT WILL CAUSE WHITE-OUT CONDITIONS WHICH WILL DISORIENT ANYONE DRIVING OR CAUGHT OUTDOORS. TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY 112 WILL BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TONIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING.
THE WINDS WILL ALSO CAUSE SNOW TO BLOW AND BUILD INTO DRIFTS. WIND CHILL VALUES NEAR 10 DEGREES ARE EXPECTED TONIGHT.
IN THE OLYMPICS, THE COMBINATION OF HEAVY BLINDING SNOW AND EAST WINDS GUSTING LOCALLY IN EXCESS OF 75 MPH WILL CREATE BLIZZARD CONDITIONS THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING. STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL IN THE
OLYMPICS WILL REACH ONE TO TWO FEET.
AN AVALANCHE WARNING IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR SUNDAY.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS:
THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION. CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WILL CREATE WHITE-OUT CONDITIONS. IF YOU BECOME STRANDED, THE SITUATION CAN BECOME LIFE THREATENING.
