It’s going to be cold and it’s going to snow, but how much, when and where were still in doubt on Wednesday afternoon.
The only thing that meteorologists know for sure is that British Columbia’s Fraser Outflow will be heavily involved in the temperatures and snowfall today and Friday.
The National Weather Service has predicted that between 1 and 9 inches of snow will fall on Port Angeles, which, along with Sequim, is always a major target of arctic air from the Fraser Valley.
“It is a big range,” admitted Seattle meteorologist Jacob DeFlitch.
It’s a certainty that freezing air will barrel through the Fraser Valley Outflow beginning this afternoon, but what isn’t known is how much moisture that cold air will encounter today and Friday.
The cold temperatures will filter into Western Washington, along the Strait of Juan de Fuca and up to the Olympic Mountains, where Hurricane Ridge could see 4 to 6 inches tonight, dependent upon the timing of the north wind, DeFlitch said.
“It’s more of a question mark on Friday if there is still moisture available,” he said.
The latest report on snow depth at Hurricane Ridge on Wednesday afternoon was 19 inches.
The Hurricane Ridge Winter Sports Club on Wednesday offered on its Facebook Page, Hurricane Ridge Ski and Snowboard Area, free lift tickets for the person who guesses when opening day for the area will be.
On Tuesday, the club said that although snow depth was improving, the club, which operates the ski and snowboard area, would not be able to decide about opening until sometime on Friday. It could be open as soon as Saturday, depending upon snowfall.
“We need to do an on hill assessment of the snow,” the group said. “The variables that we need to suss out are depth, snow density, and where all the snow ended up after the windstorm. For example, 40 inches of light fluffy snow is not enough snow, but 36 inches of high-density snow might be enough.”
East Jefferson County isn’t expected to be hit as hard with snowfall as Clallam County, according to DeFlitch. The Fraser Outflow tends to spew cold air west of Port Townsend and Brinnon is generally sheltered during north wind blows, much more so than when the wind is from the east.
But predictions were uncertain as of Wednesday, meteorologists say.
Warming centers
Emergency shelters are available in both Clallam and Jefferson counties for the unhoused or those whose homes are not equipped for extreme cold.
• The Jefferson Interfaith Action Coalition’s Winter Welcoming Center in the Pope Marine Building at 100 Madison St. in Port Townsend will be open 24 hours a day beginning today and continuing at least through Sunday and perhaps Tuesday.
Cots and food will be available. The Center is operated by the Jefferson Interfaith Action Coalition. The Center is accepting donations from community members. For more information, go to https://www.jeffersoninterfaithaction.org/wwc or call 360-821-4811.
• Serenity House, 2321 W. 18th St. in Port Angeles, which offers a 24-hour homeless shelter, has emergency shelter services when the temperature drops to 33 degrees Fahrenheit. The shelter allows only individuals 18 or older. It also offers breakfast from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., lunch from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. and dinner from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• If Serenity House is full, it will shuttle people to St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Sequim for warming when necessary. The Olympic Community Action Programs hosts the overnight warming center at 525 N. Fifth Ave. when the temperature falls to 35 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. It is open from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. with soup, warm beverages and blankets. The center is not a full shelter since it does not meet fire code for beds.
• The City of Port Angeles is prepared to stand up a warming center at the Vern Burton Community Center, should others reach capacity and temperatures fall below 20 degrees for an extended period of time, according to spokesperson Jessica Straits.
“During these colder days, please check on your neighbors,” said Keppie Kelpinger, deputy director of Jefferson County Emergency Management. “A phone call or email works well, especially if there is snow on the ground.”
To check on the latest weather conditions, go to https://www.weather.gov/sew.
Closures
The Olympic Discovery Trail was blocked by trees on Tuesday between City Pier and 911 Memorial Park. The trail is completely impassible at Four Seasons Ranch.
Ediz Hook Road, which was closed due to high winds and standing water Tuesday morning, was reopened at 7 p.m. that night.
Snow removal
Port Angeles will plow its 144 miles of roads and Sequim will plow its 54 miles of roads with major arterials as their first priority. Jefferson County and Clallam County also prioritize major roadways in their snow plowing.
Electricity
Electrical power was restored Wednesday to the thousands of Clallam County Public Utility District customers put in the dark by high winds on Tuesday. By 4 p.m. Wednesday, only two customers, both in West Jefferson County, were without power.
East Jefferson County crews restored power after many outages overnight and had no outages listed on the Jefferson County PUD map Wednesday. PUD crews also worked as a mutual aid partner for Peninsula Light Company in the Gig Harbor area.
Nationwide
Major storms hit most of the nation this week.
On Wednesday, the Northeast was cleaning up after a storm slammed the region with rain, flooding and fierce winds — nearly 100 mph in Maine — that knocked out power to hundreds of thousands, the Associated Press reported.
On Tuesday, tornadoes hit the South and blizzards the Midwest and Northwest, where 29 inches were reported falling at Stevens Pass in Washington. Authorities issued warnings for very dangerous avalanche conditions in mountainous areas of Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Oregon and Washington.
In areas of northern Montana, temperatures could drop below minus-30 degrees by Saturday morning. High temperatures were expected to remain below freezing as far south as Oklahoma.
