Cold weather with a slight chance of snow is heading for the North Olympic Peninsula this week, with the coldest temperatures occurring overnight Thursday.
“The chances that we have in place (for snow) might be a little on the low side,” said Steve Reedy, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Seattle. “There’s a 30 to 40 percent chance right there along the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Five to 10 miles inland, that chance goes up into that 40 to 50 percent range.”
A wind advisory was in effect for the northern Peninsula beginning Monday afternoon and lasting until noon Tuesday, Reedy said, with gusts of up to 55 mph overnight.
Light rain is expected through Wednesday with a chance of snow tonight as temperatures drop. Thursday and Friday morning are expected to be partly cloudy but cold, with overnight lows Thursday in the high teens.
Snow is expected at higher elevations, coming as low as 3,000 feet.
Another system is moving in for the weekend, Reedy said, with a mix of rain and snow expected Saturday and Sunday.
A high surf advisory is also in effect for the Strait of Juan de Fuca, with the potential for coastal flooding as high winds coincide with high tide.
Overnight warming shelters are available in Port Angeles, Port Townsend and Sequim.
In Port Angeles, Serenity House offers a 24-hour warming shelter when temperatures drop below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. The adult shelter is located at 2321 W. 18th Street with cots, meals, showers and laundry service.
Olympic Community Action Programs (OlyCAP) operates an overnight shelter for adults in the lower levels of the American Legion Hall at 209-A Monroe St. in Port Townsend, open from 4 p.m. to 8 a.m.
The Jefferson Interfaith Action Coalition operates a warming center from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Marine Park Community Building in Pope Marine Park.
OlyCAP also runs an overnight warming center in Sequim at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church at 525 N. Fifth Ave., with soup, warm drinks and blankets. The warming center is not a full shelter since it does not meet fire code for beds.
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Reporter Peter Segall can be reached at peter.segall@peninsuladailynews.com.
