Old Man Winter isn’t finished with the North Olympic Peninsula just yet, forecasters say.
The National Weather Service calls for 6 inches to 12 inches of snow in the lowlands of Clallam and Jefferson counties by this afternoon, with icy road conditions persisting through the rest of the workweek.
Tuesday’s icy precipitation, with a dusting of snow in some areas, is only a faint foreshadowing of the blast to come, forecasters said, and the worst of it is expected in Clallam County.
A winter storm warning is in effect for all of Western Washington through 10 a.m. Thursday. A warning means a winter storm — with snow and frigid temperatures — is imminent.
Danny Mercer, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Seattle, said the North Olympic Peninsula will get the most snow because arctic air from the Fraser River Valley in Southwestern British Columbia will slam into the Olympic Mountains.
“This is a major arctic outbreak,” Mercer said.
Heaviest snowfall
He predicted the heaviest snowfall in Sequim, Port Angeles and Forks. He expects about 6 inches of snow in Port Townsend.
The Weather Service expects up to 12 inches to 18 inches of new snow in the Olympic Mountains — including Hurricane Ridge, which had 95 inches of snow at the ridge sensor Tuesday — and 2 feet in the Cascades.
Mercer said area lowlands may already have an inch or two of snow by this morning.
“But that won’t be the main story,” Mercer said.
“For you [on the Peninsula], the heaviest snow showers will be in the afternoon and during the nighttime hours Wednesday.”
The Weather Service warning states: “Heaviest snowfall totals Wednesday through Wednesday evening will be along the Strait of Juan de Fuca, where cold northeast winds move upslope into the Olympics.”
Local variability
Forecasters expect the snowfall to be banded with “quite a bit of local variability.”
Areas close to the water may see 6 inches to 8 inches of accumulation, while places farther away from the water may get a foot, Mercer said.
“It’s going to be quite windy, too, probably 20 to 30 [mph],” Mercer said.
“There will be blowing, drifting snow, I suspect.”
Other parts of Western Washington can expect 2 inches to 6 inches of accumulation.
“There is still the possibility of adding a little more [snow] on Thursday,” Mercer said.
Although things will dry out Friday and Saturday, Mercer predicted icy conditions to persist for two or three days.
High temperatures in the Port Angeles, Port Townsend, Sequim and Forks areas will remain near freezing through Saturday.
Mercer said it is unusual but not unprecedented for Western Washington to see a significant snowstorm in late February.
Olympic National Park reported 19 degrees with 4 inches of new snow at Hurricane Ridge on Tuesday afternoon.
Hurricane Ridge Road was open Tuesday. It may close on short notice during storms.
Phone the Olympic National Park hot line at 360-565-3131 for road and weather conditions.
Heavy snow closed Interstate 90 across Snoqualmie Pass on Tuesday afternoon because of multiple collisions.
In Eastern Washington, forecasters called for snow showers with below-normal temperatures through the weekend.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
