PORT ANGELES — Ice Melt has been flying off the shelves at Swain’s General Store in Port Angeles after the season’s first snow hit Monday — and now meteorologists say there’s more snow on the way today.
Swain’s has sold out of Ice Melt, used to clear sidewalks and roads, twice in the past two days, said Don Droz, manager.
“We have been doing ridiculously well selling snow supplies,” he said. “This is crazy.”
While out of Ice Melt, Swain’s still has plenty of snow shovels, sleds and cold-weather clothing, he said, adding that an extra truck full of winter-related products is expected to arrive Friday.
Now meteorologists are encouraging people to get prepared for a second round of snow that is expected to start today.
Most places on the North Olympic Peninsula should see about 1 to 3 inches of snow today, with heavier amounts of snow along the Hood Canal and on the West End, said Johnny Burg, a National Weather Service meteorologist.
The Olympic Mountains could see about a foot of snow, he said.
A warm wet system is approaching from the south and will travel above a cold dry system, he said.
The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for most of the Peninsula from 4 p.m. today into Friday morning.
It also issued a winter storm warning near the Hood Canal for the same times.
Burg is expecting snow to change to rain close to Friday morning. Then there could be a mix of snow and rain through the weekend.
“If the transition is delayed, there could be more snow,” he said.
He said the snowline should go back up to 1,000 or 1,500 feet over the weekend.
The weather is expected to clear after the weekend. Monday night is expected to be dry and Tuesday should be mostly sunny, he said.
He said people should prepare for snow and expect travel to be affected.
After Monday’s snow, local law enforcement dealt with numerous wrecks, said Port Angeles Police Department Sgt. Jason Viada.
PAPD handled 12 wrecks between noon Monday and 4 p.m. Tuesday, while the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office dealt with six, he said.
He said the group of 12 wrecks was more than the number that PAPD would deal with during a typical day.
Viada encouraged people who don’t need to travel to stay home when the roads are snowy and icy and for drivers to think about their route and avoid steep hills.
Among those, he said, are Cherry Hill and Peabody and Laurel streets near Port Angeles High School.
The Sequim School District’s Opportunity to Excel after-school program has been canceled for today.
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Reporter Jesse Major can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56250, or at jmajor@peninsuladailynews.com.
