Bitter cold to continue with snow in several places

SEATTLE — As parts of the Puget Sound region continues to dip below freezing overnight Wednesday into Thursday, icy roads and the safety of pets and people will still be a concern as some areas could get snow.

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Areas along the Strait of Juan de Fuca, across Whidbey Island to areas around Skagit County could wind up getting anywhere from 1 to 3 inches of snow. Other places could perhaps get a dusting of an inch or so.

Although snow is expected to fall, it is also expected to clear quickly in some areas as the snowflakes will be “eaten up” by dry air as it falls to the surface.

By late afternoon on Thursday, sunshine is expected with highs in the upper 30s to low 40s, leaving behind Wednesday’s arctic-like weather, which the National weather Service said was forecast to be one of the coldest February days on record. At 7 a.m., temperatures dipped to 23 degrees in Seattle. The record low for Seattle was 24 degrees in 2018.

The National Weather Service reminded people to dress in layers, cover exposed skin and limit time outside as freezing temperatures could be dangerous and cause damage. In addition, pets owners were advised that their furry loved ones should not be left outside during the subfreezing temperatures and that products put down on slippery sidewalks might not be pet-friendly, so dogs’ paws should be washed off when returning home from a walk.

Warming shelters were also opened across the region for people without a place to get out of the cold.

And with the freeze-thaw cycle, plumbers are now in high gear, ready to fix pipes that burst.

“Keep the cabinets open and let some room temperature in, that helps. And the other thing you can do with piping on the exterior wall is just leave the faucet dripping,” said plumber Brent Bates.

Forecast

Friday should be mainly sunny with morning lows in the 20s to near 30, and highs in the mid-to-upper 40s.

Clouds will increase on Saturday ahead of another period of unsettled weather but temperatures will have moderated back to near normal with highs in the 40s to near 50.

Some rain moves in Saturday night and continues on and off well into next week. The wettest days look to be Sunday and Monday.

Snow levels should be restricted between elevations of 3,000 to 4,000 feet — good for decent snow at the passes and resorts except sometimes mixed with rain at Snoqualmie Pass.

Early outlooks for mountain snow Sunday through next Wednesday are in the 1-to-2-foot range, though occurring over a long enough time period to prevent major travel issues at the passes.

Overall, it’s good news for skiers and snowboarders while we get some good soaking rain in the lowlands without the threat of snow.

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