No snow, but a high of 19 degrees in Everett means icy streets

EVERETT — Friday was another icy day across Snohomish County, with temperatures expected to drop even further this weekend.

On Friday afternoon, Everett peaked at 19 degrees, with the overnight low forecast at 11 degrees. Wind chill was expected to push the city into negative temperatures overnight.

The cold snap was expected to lift by Tuesday, when lows should hover just above freezing.

Public Works crews were working around the clock to prevent roads from icing over.

In inland Snohomish County, the area around Gold Bar was under advisories for both wind and wind chill Friday. Those were set to expire Saturday evening. Wind chill in Gold Bar could reach as low as negative 14 degrees Friday night into Saturday morning.

The low temperatures can be attributed to — or maybe blamed on — a “modified Arctic front” that pushed cold air from the interior of Canada down to the Pacific Northwest, said Maddie Kristell, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Seattle on Friday.

Temperatures were “significantly below average” for the region, she added. Snohomish County could come close to record lows Saturday morning, but Kristell said it likely had gotten too warm Friday afternoon to do so.

Precipitation has also shifted south, so no significant rain or snow was expected over the weekend, Kristell said. Everett only got a dusting, mixed with rain, on Thursday.

Sky Valley Fire crews were busy Thursday and Friday responding to crashes, downed power lines and injuries — like slips and falls — caused by the weather, the department posted on Facebook.

Fire Chief Eric Andrews said it was “pretty normal” for Index to experience some power outages, so residents were prepared. He said the department had not dealt with any calls related to cold weather exposure.

The Snohomish County Public Utility District also responded to an overnight incident in Index that took out power to 660 residents, agency spokesperson Aaron Swaney said in an email on Friday.

He added: “Currently we don’t have any customers out of power, but extreme temperatures can be hard on equipment and lead to outages. We always encourage customers to be prepared and have a backup plan to visit friends/relatives or stay in a hotel in case they lose power in these really low temperatures.”

The Everett Fire department reported no medical calls related to hypothermia or death on Thursday or Friday. It was a “run of the mill day” Everett Fire spokesperson Rachael Doniger said Friday. She noted a few minor car crashes. Medical calls, related to illness, also increased.

Homage, a nonprofit serving seniors and those with disabilities, said it was seeking $30,000 in donations for pipe repairs for its clients. Frozen pipes can be an issue in the winter.

Stevens Pass was open again Friday, though chains were required. U.S. 2 has opened and closed several times this week near the pass.

Check the pipes

Freezing temperatures often mean frozen pipes, cutting off water to homes. If you haven’t already, make sure the pipes are fully winterized at your home.

Before heading out

Public works recommended checking travel routes. You can visit the Public Works snow and ice website to view priority routes for snowplowing, sanding and road closure information.

Cold weather shelter information

Visit bit.ly/snocoshelters for a rundown of all the cold weather shelters in the area.

Everett

Family Cold Weather Shelter at 5126 S. Second Ave.

Doors open from 4 to 8 p.m.

Contact speterson@egmission.org for more information.

United Church of Christ at 2624 Rockefeller Ave.

Doors open from 8 to 10 p.m.

Call 425-977-9686 for more information.

Marysville

Bethlehem Lutheran Church at 7215 51st Ave. NE.

Doors open from 7 to 9:30 p.m.