Latest snowfall turns to slush
Published 11:07 pm Monday, January 5, 2009
At least it came and went quickly this time.
Snow fell all over Snohomish County little more than a week after a snowstorm battered the region.
But this snow turned to slush just hours after it fell with the arrival on Monday morning of temperatures warming into the upper 30s to mid-40s.
Still, enough snow was on the ground in Snohomish County Monday to close classes in Index and prompt late starts in Everett, Edmonds, Mukilteo, Darrington, Snohomish and Sultan. Edmonds Community College also was running late.
For many students, Monday marked the end of a three-week winter break.
The outlook for the week calls for rain with the arrival of another storm system tonight.
“There’s no snow in the forecast for the lowlands for the next week,” said Dennis D’Amico, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Seattle bureau.
D’Amico said 5 inches of snow fell in Everett overnight Sunday. About 3 inches blanketed ÂLynnwood and Mill Creek had 2 inches of snow. By the morning commute, much of the snow had melted from the roadways, although many lawns and rooftops remained covered.
A winter storm warning and avalanche warning remained in effect until 6 a.m. today for the Cascade Range.
The state Department of Transportation reopened both directions of I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass Monday evening after they were closed much of the day for avalanche danger. Avalanche control work, scheduled for midnight, was expected to cause more closures.
Weather service officials will now keep a close eye on Western Washington rivers, which could rise closer to flood stage because of rain and melting snow in the forecast, D’Amico said.
A warmer, wet system will move into Washington today through Thursday with significant rain. Forecasters expect the freezing level to rise to 9,000 feet. The rain and melting snow could combine to cause flooding.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Reporter David Chircop: 425-339-3429 or dchircop@heraldnet.com.
