EVERETT, MARCH 12: The strongest storm of this winter season pounded the North Sound Wednesday night. Wind gusts well into the 40 mph or greater range knocked out power to around 10,000 customers in Island, Skagit, and Snohomish counties. A motorist in Monroe died when a tree fell onto their car around 820 PM in the evening.
Naval Station Whidbey had a gust reach 59 mph, Useless Bay on Whidbey Island peaked at 57 mph, Everett – Paine Field hit 52 mph, and one report on Camano Island topped out at 50 mph. Reports elsewhere in the North Sound had peak wind gusts in the 40 to 50 mph.
In the Mountains
A blizzard warning was issued by the National Weather Service for the Cascades Wednesday night. A blizzard warning means more than just a lot of snow. The warning means heavy snowfall amounts, along with wind speeds of at least 35 mph and as a result, poor visibility below a quarter mile.
Winds in the Cascades certainly surpassed the 35 mph wind speed threshold. Stevens Pass had a wind gust up to 81 mph while the Mt. Baker Ski Area topped out at 55 mph. The strongest wind gust reported was at Alpental near Snoqualmie Pass with a peak wind gust of 134 mph.
Since Monday, Stevens Pass has received 29 inches of snow as of early Thursday morning, while Mt. Baker has collected 17 inches. And more snow is coming. Another one to two feet of snow is expected through Saturday morning.
For snow enthusiasts who have suffered through a poor mountain snow season, this weekend will offer likely the best snow conditions of the year. Just expect crowds and parking will be a tough issue. Consider transportation options to enjoy the slopes.
What’s Ahead
In the North Sound lowlands, anticipate more showers through Friday that are anticipated to taper off by Saturday. Temperatures will be cool with highs in the lower to mid-40s, and lows in the 30s.
Snow levels will be well below pass levels through the weekend. On Friday and Saturday mornings, snow levels may drop to near 500 feet, meaning some higher North Sound locations could see some light snow accumulations, similar to what occurred earlier this week.
Warmer Next Week
A big change in the overall weather pattern is forecast next week. Strong upper level high pressure is expected to build over the Western U.S., producing a significant rise in temperatures and mountain snow levels.
Weather systems riding up and over the Western U.S. upper level high pressure will bring occasional rain to the North Sound well into next week. Mountain snow levels are anticipated to rise to around 7000 feet starting Monday.
The newly fallen mountain snow will soak up the rain, and also increase the weight of the snowpack, particularly on steep slopes. This situation will result in an elevated avalanche hazard. Monitor the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center for the latest information on this evolving situation.
In the North Sound lowlands, high temperatures are expected to warm into the 50s with lows moderating into the 40s.
This warming trend continues into the latter part of March. The odds through March 25th reflect good chances of warmer and wetter than average conditions. March 25th is also when the North Sound has its first 730 PM sunset.
