Area’s snowfall doesn’t amount to much

Published 12:01 am Monday, December 14, 2009

EVERETT — Snow that descended on parts of Snohomish County on Sunday was expected to make the morning commute slick for some, forecasters say.

The National Weather Service in Seattle on Sunday morning issued a winter weather advisory for Snohomish County and parts of Western Washington. It was expected to remain in effect through 6 this morning.

Motorists should expect icy roads in parts of the county, especially side streets, said Dennis D’Amico, a meteorologist with the weather service.

A frontal system later today was expected to bring rain and warmer temperatures through the rest of the week. The change in weather was expected to start with more snow this afternoon, which could affect the evening commute, D’Amico said.

Washington State Patrol troopers were busy Sunday responding to wrecks on state roads between the King County line and the Canadian border, trooper Keith Leary said.

Troopers reported 80 crashes in the area on Sunday. Several of those resulted in injuries, but none of them were considered serious.

More than 20 other wrecks were recorded in Skagit and Whatcom counties during that time.

Being in a hurry, following too closely and going at speeds too fast for road conditions were the main factors in the collisions, Leary said.

In Lake Stevens, people lined up outside Rick Dolman’s tire store even before the opening time. Dolman said he opened an hour early anticipating a busy day. He was right: Dozens of customers concerned about their Monday morning commute hurried to get snow tires and chains.

“We’ve just been busy with snow tires all day long,” Dolman said.

Snow continued to fall Sunday afternoon at the Verlot Public Service Center, said David Justice, whose job is to tell visitors about the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.

About 2 inches of fresh snow had covered the ground by Sunday afternoon, hiding the ice on the roads, Justice said. The slick driving conditions deterred some visitors: By 3 p.m., only about 110 people visited the center, he said. Some talked about having to chain up on the way. In comparison, well over 300 people visit on a clear day this time of year, looking for a Christmas tree or a good hike.

The temperatures this month stayed so cold for so long that the center also attracted ice climbers, Justice said. Ice climbers use special tools to climb frozen waterfalls and ice-covered cliffs.

“We don’t get that very often,” he said. “It has to be cold for a long period of time.”

An avalanche watch was issued for tonight for the west slopes of North and Central Cascades and the mountain passes. Backcountry travelers should be careful: Dense snow was expected to cover weak snow layers that accumulated over the weekend, causing high avalanche danger, forecasters said.

Katya Yefimova: 425-339-3452, kyefimova@heraldnet.com.