The North Olympic Peninsula’s crisp, cool — and relatively dry — weather Wednesday was in stark contrast to the eastern side of the state, which was blanketed by snow.
Johnny Burg, meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said small hail — about the size of peas — fell on both sides of the Peninsula — in Forks and Port Townsend — and possibly hit Sequim but missed Port Angeles.
Wherever it fell, it didn’t last long and melted quickly because temperatures were warm.
Temperature highs for the day were recorded as 42 degrees in Port Angeles, 39.5 in Sequim, 42 in Forks, 40 in Port Townsend and 39 in Quilcene.
“There might have been a few flurries or some trace snow in some areas but nothing of significance,” Burg said.
The rest of the week is predicted to be dry, with temperatures about the same as Wednesday, Burg said.
<b.Snow possible Sunday
He said snow is possible Sunday. If it falls, it will fall on all alike, he said, since the rain shadow effect — in which Sequim and Port Angeles often are sheltered from the worst weather by the Olympic Mountains — is not expected to protect any towns from this storm.
“But temperatures on Sunday night and Monday will be in the high 30s and low 40s, so it won’t be sticking around,” Burg said.
It’s a different story on the eastern side of the state.
Heavy snow and icy roads made travel tough there Wednesday as a storm dropped 7 inches of snow in the Spokane area and blizzard conditions blew through the Palouse area, The Associated Press reported.
State Patrol troopers reported more than 60 wrecks in the area.
Blowing and drifting snow at times closed U.S. 195 between the Idaho state line and Pullman, state Highway 27 from Palouse to Garfield, and state Highway 23 from Steptoe to Sprague in the southeastern part of the state.
The Weather Service expected the snow to taper off Wednesday night, but clearing skies today were expected to mean frosty temperatures — down to minus 4 degrees in Spokane tonight and colder in Northeast Washington.
Snow fell in the Cascade Range on Wednesday, making travel across the passes difficult, The Associated Press said.
The Transportation Department said motorists should expect ice and snow across most of the state for the holiday weekend.
