| HeraldNet - Snohomish County's online news source |
 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2009 11:16 pm |
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Local News 
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'Mega-storm' brewing: High winds, snow expected High winds, more snow expected to hit today The storm that's expected to rock Western Washington beginning this afternoon has the potential to be life-threatening.Blizzard conditions may develop at Stevens Pass. Near hurricane-force winds could gust off the Cascade Range, and as much as a half-foot of snow is predicted to fall in Everett. "It has the potential to be a notable and historic storm for some areas," said Brad Colman, a senior meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Seattle. Widespread power outages appear likely. People who haven't already stocked up on food, water, batteries and flashlights may have precious little time this morning to get it done. "This looks like kind of a mega-storm," said Tammy Douherty, the assistant director of the county's Department of Emergency Management. Sustained winds of up to 50 mph are expected to hit hardest in communities from Lake Stevens east, including parts of Arlington, Granite Falls, Snohomish, Monroe, Sultan, Gold Bar, Index and Skykomish. The higher elevations could see a foot of snow or more, especially near the mountain passes. Lower elevations could be spared snow as the high winds dry out the atmosphere and push the snowfall west. People should double-check their emergency supplies and be certain they have working flashlights, battery-operated radios and plenty of food and water. Should power outages hit, Red Cross emergency shelters likely will be opened around the county to provide a warm place for people to go, Douherty said. More than 250 Red Cross volunteers are ready in the county if necessary, spokesman Kris Krischano said. The storm is expected to be "life-threatening," Colman said. It's predicted to move into the area Saturday afternoon and expected to continue causing problems through Sunday. Winds are forecast to increase Saturday morning and gusts off the Cascades could reach 70 mph, especially in the higher foothills, Colman said. The high winds are more than sufficient to cause widespread power outages, bring down trees and power lines and damage property. Temperatures are forecast to be hovering near freezing, so there is a specter of many people being without power and facing severe cold. "We're actively tracking the weather information," Snohomish PUD spokesman Neil Neroutsos said. The utility has crews and extra materials standing by, he said. More help from outside the region is available, if necessary. People with special needs, especially those requiring power to run medical equipment, should make contingency plans, he said. "We can't guarantee uninterruptible power," he said. Snowfall is expected to be heaviest at the passes, while coastal areas in Snohomish County could see as much as six inches, Colman said. Camano Island has been hit hard by previous windstorms, and residents were starting to prepare for the possibility of wind-whipped yards and days without power. Camano Plaza True Value Hardware on Friday already had sold out of flashlights, generators, propane heaters, space heaters, de-icers, shovels and sleds, said shipping and receiving manger David Stach. "Since last week when the storm warning hit that we were expecting ice and snow, we've been sold out of just about every kind of emergency supply," he said. "We're selling cold-weather gloves like they're going out of style. Anything that has to do with cold weather, we've been selling out faster than we can keep it on our shelves." Many customers are also buying pruners and chainsaws to trim limbs that may blow onto power lines or homes, he said. If homeowners are still worried this morning about trees and limbs, it's probably too late to do anything before this storm, Neroutsos said. Barbara Troha, 67, and her husband spent the last couple days snowed in and without power. Electricity went off at their home near Lake Goodwin late Wednesday and hadn't gone up until about 4:30 p.m. Friday, Troha said. "I'm so angry right now." The couple were able to use the generator from their RV to get by, but the house was ice cold, Troha said. One of her cats fell ill because of the cold, Troha said. "His poor ears were like ice cubes." Repair crews have had a hard time accessing some of the rural areas, but they are doing everything they can, Neroutsos said. "People need to try to be patient," he said. "These are very difficult conditions for our crews to work in." The weather service also has issued an avalanche warning for the Cascades, where recent storms have in places dumped several feet of new snow. Officials are worried that changing conditions, including high winds, could create instability in the snowpack and trigger slides. The weak snowpack developed already this season likely could persist through the spring, said Mark Moore, an avalanche forecaster. People should stay out of the woods, said Gary Paull, wilderness and trail coordinator for the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. In Darrington, two feet of snow blanketed the forest Friday, making it nearly impossible to drive down unplowed forest roads. Even if temperatures rise and snow melts, outdoor enthusiasts should stay off remote roads in the winter, he said. "If you happen to be in one of those outlying places on a forest road and get stuck there, you might be there for the winter -- really," he said. "They might not be able to get their car out until next spring, not to mention they might be in pretty big trouble themselves." With 2 feet of snow on the ground, once it starts melting, rivers could rise quickly and floods could take people by surprise, Paull said. "If they do drive out, they need to prepare and be very aware of things like windstorms coming up," he said. "You can get blocked in really fast. If trees start coming down, it's also a good time not to be in the woods." Forecasters don't expect a rapid warmup that could cause river flooding. Instead, they are concerned that frozen storm drains could create problems when melting ice and snow have no place to flow, Colman said. Meanwhile, the continuing weather problems are creating a dangerously low emergency blood supply in the region, officials said. The Puget Sound Blood Center has canceled more than 15 blood drives and lost more than 1,000 blood donations and 50 platelet donations, spokesman Michael Young said. People who are able to donate are asked to call the Puget Sound Blood Center at 800-398-7888 to schedule an appointment. "With more inclement weather forecast, we can expect to lose an additional 500 donations over the next three days," Young said. "And with the holidays, the next two weeks mean approximately 25 percent fewer donors than we would typically expect." Officials with the Salvation Army emergency shelter in downtown Everett said Friday that the shelter will remain open through Saturday night, at least. The snow has caused problems all week. Schools in Snohomish County got an early start to their holiday breaks. The weather resulted in canceled classes beginning Wednesday. Skiers may have delighted in the sudden burst of snowfall, but Colman said anyone with plans to hit the slopes today or Sunday might be forced to reconsider. High winds are expected to create below-freezing wind chill and white-out conditions. The storm could leave drivers stranded at the passes. Plus, people never know if Santa Claus might deliver a new set of skis under the tree on Thursday, Colman said. "I'd wait," he said. Reporter Katya Yefimova contributed to this story. |
Photo Gallery: Reader Snow Photos December 2008
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