After snow levels plunged following a storm packing rain and wind, parts of western Washington are getting hit with lowland snow Friday as heavy accumulation forced closure of several major highways in the Cascade Mountains and foothill areas, shutting down ski resorts and delaying schools.
The heavy snow has caused the closure of Snoqualmie Pass, State Route 410, and State Route 18. The snow also caused school delays Friday morning. Where the snow is falling is hit or miss. Places like Seattle, SeaTac, Issaquah, Bremerton, Redmond, Belfair, Snoqualmie, Carnation, Monroe, and areas along Interstate 90 are seeing pockets of snow where it’s just cold enough to support it.
In other areas, such as Tacoma, Centralia, and Olympia, temperatures in the upper 30s were too warm early Friday, but were seeing snow by late morning. Places where snow is falling, especially foothill communities such as Skykomish, North Bend, and Eatonville, could see one to four inches of slushy accumulation.
However, afternoon highs on Friday are expected to hover near 40 degrees, which should help melt much of any lowland snow accumulation, similar to earlier this week. In the mountains, snow will continue to fall steadily. A winter storm warning is in effect for the Cascades and Olympics, replacing an earlier blizzard warning. By the time snowfall tapers off Saturday morning, ski resorts could receive an additional one to three feet of snow.
Unfortunately for skiers, dangerous conditions on the roads have created chaos for motorists. Crystal Mountain announced it would shut down for Friday because SR 410, the only access road to the resort, is closed. The Washington State Department of Transportation called the closure “weather-related” and did not give an estimate for reopening the road.
The Summit at Snoqualmie said on Friday that it lost power, and the resort said only the Summit Central ski area would operate on “backup power.” I-90 is closed in both directions, cutting off skiers who didn’t already arrive at the resort. While Stevens Pass is open, avalanche concerns on US 2 have slowed traffic.
Conditions are expected to moderate over the weekend. Another system will bring precipitation to the Puget Sound region on Sunday, but with highs in the mid to upper 40s, lowland areas are expected to see rain while the mountains receive snow. Pass travel could become difficult on Sunday afternoon and evening. Looking ahead to next week, temperatures are forecast to climb back into the 50s by St. Patrick’s Day, with a mix of showers and sunbreaks expected across the region.
