This snow isn’t going anywhere, and more is on the way Sunday

Published 1:30 am Saturday, February 9, 2019

EVERETT — With heavy, wet snow once again covering Western Washington, more is on the way. Another 1 to 2 inches is possible Sunday, with larger amounts forecast for early in the week.

A quick-moving storm was predicted to arrive late Sunday, said Carly Kovacik, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Seattle.

“But behind that, into Monday and through Tuesday, is a stronger storm that has the potential to bring heavier snowfalls,” Kovacik said.

It could dump snow in amounts similar to what came with storms that hit late Friday and early last week. A winter storm watch is in effect until Tuesday night.

Saturday morning, the weather service reported snow accumulations of 7 inches in Everett and Lake Stevens, 6 inches in Edmonds and 5 inches in Mountlake Terrace. Already this month, 10.6 inches of snow has fallen at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, making it the snowiest February since 1949, according to the weather service.

There were flurries Saturday, but no significant snowfall.

After a Saturday-night low expected to be in the teens, low temperatures the next few days in Everett and other lowland areas will be in the 20s, with highs in the 30s.

Coming as the work week was winding down, many took the second large dump of snow in less than a week in stride. Michael Swanson, with the help of his two kids, was clearing his sidewalk Saturday morning.

“I love it. It’s something different. It changes your normal routine, which is fun,” he said. “I don’t remember the last time we had this much snow.”

Friday night, the county activated its Emergency Coordination Center. The city of Everett City had done the same earlier that morning.

On Saturday at the county’s center, workers were watching for power outages. Trees and limbs, weighed down by heavy snow, were bringing down power lines in some areas.

Officials were again discouraging travel. Many heeded the warning, heading home early Friday and staying off the roads Saturday.

“That made the work of managing the event a lot easier,” said Scott North, a spokesman for Snohomish County.

Although major routes were drivable, “we’re seeing a lot of compact snow and ice on most of the roadways,” Washington State Patrol trooper Heather Axtman tweeted early Saturday. “We’ve responded to 59 collisions since 6 a.m. yesterday throughout Snohomish, Skagit, Whatcom, and Island counties. Thankfully no one has been seriously injured!”

Human activity picked up in the afternoon as the sun came out. But with temperatures expected to dip below freezing, the weather service warned that any snow or ice melt on pavement will refreeze at night, especially on untreated roads.

The city of Everett planned to keep the Carl Gipson Senior Center and Forest Park Swim Center closed through the weekend. Garbage, recycling and compost pickup by Rubatino Refuse Removal and Waste Management Northwest were suspended last week, but customers will be allowed to leave out a double load this week, weather permitting, according to the websites of both companies.

Despite having snow days earlier in the week, Reese Emerson, 9, and a group of friends were still excited to be out in the snow.

“I know that whenever there’s snow we get to go sledding and play with our friends,” Reese said.

Herald photographer Olivia Vanni contributed to this story.

Lizz Giordano: 425-374-4165; egiordano@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @lizzgior.