UPDATE: Electrical power was restored to the majority of Clallam County Public Utility District customers by 2 a.m. Wednesday. A new outage knocked out power to about 250 customers between Lake Crescent and the junction of U.S. Highway 101 and state Highway 112 but by 11:37 a.m., power had been restored to all but 33 customers.
Jefferson County PUD crew had restored power to all customers after a busy night responding to multiple outages and reports of trees and branches on lines. PUD crews also worked as a mutual aid partner for Peninsula Light Company in the Gig Harbor area.
PORT ANGELES — Public utilities crews wrestled with electrical outages and other wind-blown problems on Tuesday, and that was just the beginning of the effects of what is expected to be an intense winter storm on the North Olympic Peninsula.
“It’s an active week already and more to come is the message so far,” Matthew Cullen, National Weather Service meteorologist in Seattle, said Tuesday morning, as he promised more wind today and snow at the end of the week.
Although the wintry weather spelled bad news for electrical power lines and travel, the promise of snow delighted some.
“Snow is stacking up, and we are close to what we need to open for the season,” the Hurricane Ridge Winter Sorts Club, which operates the ski and snowboard area, announced on its Facebook Page on Tuesday afternoon.
If enough snow does fall on the Ridge, 17 miles south of Port Angeles, then it could be open on Saturday, Sunday and the Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday on Monday, when entry into Olympic National Park will be free, according to Danielle Lawrence at the Hurricane Ridge Mountain Operations Center.
“We are gearing up to open on Saturday, but it will be a last-minute decision if we do so,” she said. “Although the storm is bringing in the snow, the blizzard is not creating the ideal conditions for base building, which is what we need.
“We need a minimum of six feet to operate the poma lift. So, if we do open, operations will be limited to the tubing area and the bunny and intermediate rope tows. I doubt the terrain park will be open,” Lawrence wrote.
For the latest road, lift and weather updates, call 360-565-3131 or check ONP’s website at https://www.nps.gov/olym/ planyourvisit/conditions.htm.
Outages
Wind gusts caused outages on top of more outages, mostly in the West End of Clallam and Jefferson counties on Tuesday, according to Nicole Hartman, Clallam PUD communications manager. The numbers fluctuated throughout the day. No sooner were some outages fixed than more came in, she said.
“Things are happening as fast as I can report them,” she said.
“We’re going to be going back and forth on this all night.”
Total outages for the Clallam PUD were at 1,421 by 5 p.m., a number that included 186 in West Jefferson County. In East Jefferson County, 138 customers of the Jefferson County PUD were without power by 5 p.m., most in the Port Ludlow area.
“We are seeing mostly smaller outages caused by wind-blown branches and the occasional tree on the line,” said Jameson Hawn, Jefferson County PUD digital communications specialist.
“During the night, we had 327 customers without power at the peak. We had all-hands available with our line crews overnight to quickly tackle issues,” he wrote.
“We ask that our neighbors please (stay) 50 feet from any line on the ground and call our main line at 360-385-5800 to report it right away.”
Mike Healy, Port Angeles Public Works director, reported 337 Port Angeles customers on the city’s west side lost power at 11:33 a.m. Tuesday, which was restored at 12:02 p.m.
Anyone who still lacks electrical power probably has suffered damage to the line to the house, Healy said. Anyone without power within Port Angeles should call 360-417-4726.
Windy
The Port Angeles Public Works Department closed Ediz Hook on Tuesday due to high waves and rocks being thrown over the roadway. The road will be reopened once a crew can get there at low tide to clean up the roadway, Healy said.
Cullen with the weather service noted gusts of 65 mph at Naval Air Station Whidbey and close to 60 mph at William R. Fairchild International Airport in Port Angeles.
“We are going to see that through the day,” he said Tuesday, adding that the winds should ease by early today.
But then residents should be prepared for a temperature drop and change from rain to snow as the Fraser Valley in British Columbia spews arctic air across the Strait of Juan de Fuca toward the Peninsula.
Cullen said several inches of snow are likely coming into Friday, but the temperatures and the winds are where the uncertainty lies.
“People should expect continued rainfall Tuesday and maybe lightning into Wednesday. Then we’ll see what the winds and temperatures do,” Cullen said.
Elsewhere in the state, blizzard conditions left thousands without power. At least two mountain passes were closed: Stevens Pass and Blewett Pass.
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Reporter Brian Gawley can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 55650, or at brian.gawley@peninsuladailynews.com.
Executive Editor Leah Leach contributed to this story.
