Brief snow, then rain for Peninsula

Snow returned to the North Olympic Peninsula on Wednesday, if only briefly, before being replaced by the rain that’s expected to remain through the rest of the week.

“For (Thursday,) we still have the potential to see some isolated areas of lowland winter precipitation, maybe freezing rain,” said Dev McMillian, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Seattle.

“It looks like things should trend warmer later in the week,” he said.

Overnight lows were forecasted to be at or below freezing in Clallam and Jefferson counties, and roads are expected to be icy and hazardous today. The coldest time of the day is typically right before sunrise, McMillian said, meaning temperatures may still be freezing when the morning commute begins.

Following the potential for snow and freezing rain in the morning, temperatures are expected to warm and rain is forecasted through the rest of the week.

McMillian said the incoming weather front was rather warm and could bring rain at elevations as high as 5,000 feet. For places like Hurricane Ridge, “any snow or freezing rain should transition to rain as the day progresses,” he said.

Hurricane Ridge Road is closed until at least Friday morning when Olympic National Park officials will determine whether or not to open the road.

Schools were open but some had delayed hours and most were running buses on snow routes. The Port Angeles School District canceled all games and contests for the day and the Brinnon School District delayed opening by three hours.

The state Department of Transportation posted pictures and videos to crews working to remove heavy snow and ice throughout the state, including Port Angeles and Sequim along U.S. Highway 101.

The cold weather hitting the North Olympic Peninsula over the past week also is increasing home power usage, according to Jameson Hawn, digital communications specialist with Jefferson County Public Utility. Hawn said the utility hit record-high power usage Saturday when power usage in the county reached 113.6 megawatts. By comparison, the peak megawatt usage for December was 73 megawatts on Christmas Eve.

The increased usage can cause outages when it causes the electrical system’s safety feature to kick in and shut down before any damage is caused. That’s what happened in Port Townsend on Friday and Marrowstone Island on Saturday, Hawn said, but the utility is looking at ways to spread the electrical load across the region.

No weather-caused outages were reported in Clallam or Jefferson counties on Wednesday.

The State Patrol responded to only one weather-related incident Wednesday, according to Trooper Katherine Weatherwax, State Patrol spokesperson.

“In the last two days we’ve only handled that we’re at now,” Weatherwax said, referring to a truck that had run into a ditch on Highway 101 near Lake Sutherland.

“We’re doing a little better than we were last week,” she said.

The State Patrol reported 34 collisions last Thursday evening as the first round of winter weather set in.

Warming Centers

Port Angeles

• Serenity House Shelter, 2321 W. 18th St., Port Angeles; 360-452-7221.

Serenity House is available 24/7 while the weather stays below freezing. Three meals a day are served: Breakfast 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.; lunch 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.; dinner: 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Donations of full-size blankets for shelter beds and hand warmers are needed.

• Salvation Army, 202 S. Peabody St., Port Angeles; 360-452-7679.

The Salvation Army provides breakfast from 8 a.m. to 8:55 a.m. and lunch from noon to 12:55 p.m., as well as clothing assistance.

• The Answer for Youth (TAFY), 826 E. First St., Port Angeles; 360-670-4363.

A small food bank and free clothing closet is available to youth and young families up to age 35. Blankets, tents and other supplies also are available. It is open from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays.

• Individuals not eligible to enter Serenity House or who are unable to find shelter are encouraged to contact Peninsula Behavioral Health’s R.E.A.L. Team at 360-912-7833 for assistance.

Forks

• Serenity House Forks Resource Center, 287 Founders Way, Forks; 360-670-4934.

This is not an overnight shelter, but people are welcome to come in to get out of the cold weekdays only from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Jefferson County

• Jefferson Interfaith Action Coalition Winter Welcoming Center, Pope Marine Building, 100 Madison St., Port Townsend; 360-821-4811.

The center operated as a 24-hour shelter Wednesday night, said Ben Casserd, the center’s manager, but then will resume it’s normal hours of 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Friday.

“Unless there’s drastic changes we’ll be open until 12:30, (today),” Casserd said.

• Quilcene Community Center, 294952 U.S. Highway 101.

Richard Fitzgerald said Wednesday the shelter can’t have its doors open 24/7, but he will open it if a person or family called to say they were struggling to stay warm. They can bring dog or cat pets also. His number is 360-460-1573.

Some food is available as is a warm space, bathrooms and potable water.

“If they need to come in and warm up, we don’t have much but we have some,” Fitzgerald said.

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Reporter Peter Segall can be reached at peter.segall@peninsuladailynews.com.