PORT ANGELES — Following a range of snowfall this week — from 14 inches in Forks to less than an inch in Port Townsend — temperatures are expected remain cold with sporadic snow showers possible across the Olympic Peninsula this weekend.
The weather likely will be drier today with temperatures around 20 degrees Fahrenheit, said Jacob DeFlitch, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service (NWS).
Tonight and Saturday morning, a weather system likely will spread moisture and bring light snow Saturday night and into Sunday.
There won’t be much chance of snow accumulation in Port Angeles, Sequim and Port Townsend, DeFlitch said. Forks might see accumulation of under an inch.
“[You] could see snow showers at any point throughout the weekend,” he said.
The weekend also will remain cold, with highs around 40 degrees, he said.
With these weather patterns, DeFlitch said people’s main concern should be morning commutes, which could be slick from black ice.
Bad road conditions are “certainly possible throughout the whole weekend,” he said.
Thus far, there have only been about 10 weather-related traffic incidents across the North Olympic Peninsula from Monday to Thursday morning, Washington State Patrol Trooper Katherine Weatherwax said.
“We haven’t had anything too crazy,” she said.
During the first five days of February, towns and cities across the North Olympic Peninsula saw various amounts of snowfall, according to NWS reports. Parts of Port Angeles and Forks both had almost 14 inches of snowfall, Chimacum had almost 5 inches, Sequim had almost 4 inches, Port Ludlow had around 3 inches and Port Townsend had less than 1 inch.
During the cold weather, individuals in Clallam County in need of a warming shelter can go to the following locations: Serenity House; any of the branches of the North Olympic Library System during open hours; the Salvation Army; the Port Angeles Food Bank from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday; the Clallam County Harm Reduction Health Center from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday; The Answer for Youth from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday; the Sequim Warming Center when temperatures are 36 degrees or below; St. Luke’s Episcopal Church from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m.; the Makah Community Gym from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; and the Forks Transit Center.
Those struggling to find a warming center in Clallam County can call Reflections Counseling for assistance at 360-912-7833.
Individuals in Jefferson County can go to the following locations for warmth: the Quilcene Community Center from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.; the Brinnon Community Center from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; the Jefferson County Jail Lobby from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. on freezing nights; the Port Townsend Welcome Center in the Pope Marine Park from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Likely due to the weather conditions, Jefferson County had a number of power outages Thursday morning, according to the PUD outage map. Almost 1,000 customers were affected in the Quilcene area and about 400 customers in both the Port Ludlow and Port Townsend areas were affected.
Clallam County had one outage Thursday morning, according to the county PUD outage map.
Peninsula College (PC) locations and a number of school districts saw closures and delayed starts due to weather conditions. PC’s campus in Forks was closed Monday and Tuesday, while its Port Angeles campus was closed Tuesday and Thursday.
Schools in Clallam Bay were closed Monday, those in Neah Bay and the Queets-Clearwater School District were closed Monday and Tuesday, Crescent School District was closed Thursday and the Brinnon School District was closed Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.
The Sequim and Port Townsend School Districts did not close at all, although they did have late starts.
The Port Angeles School District was closed Tuesday and Thursday.
Peninsula Daily News was not able to reach the Quillayute Valley School District, the Chimacum School District or the Quilcene School District.
______
Reporter Emma Maple can be reached by email at emma.maple@peninsuladailynews.com.
The waters of Lake Pleasant are seen beyond the Lake Pleasant County Park in Beaver. About 14 inches of snow have accumulated in Forks and other areas of the West End, according to the National Weather Service. (Lonnie Archibald/for Peninsula Daily News)
Snow accumulates on rocks in a scenic photo that looks out at James Island on the West End of Clallam County. (Randy Eastman Sr.)
