EVERETT — The worst snowstorm in more than seven years was expected to hit during morning rush hour today.
Up to 6 inches of snow was expected in the Everett area, and cities and the county spent Monday preparing for the worst.
In Everett, a fleet of trucks stood ready to serve as snowplows. Crews were ready in Monroe and Edmonds to spread de-icing chemicals on the roads, and dump trucks to spread sand were set to give drivers some traction.
Even so, the storm moving in isn’t anywhere near as severe as the ones that happened in December 1996, according to the National Weather Service. Back then nearly two feet of snow fell in the lowlands and up to four feet in the foothills.
Most of the snow is expected to come down during the morning commute, from about 6 a.m. to noon, meteorologist Ted Buehner said.
"Quite frankly, if you don’t have to go to work, don’t go," he said.
Officials promised to try to keep the freeways and main roads clear. Everywhere else, drivers would be on their own.
Snohomish County’s school districts were to decide whether to open between 2:30 a.m. and 5 a.m. Parents are advised to check their district’s Web site or tune in to broadcast news to find out what their district decided.
The weather service issued a heavy snow warning for most of the state: Seattle 2 to 4 inches, up to 10 inches for the Olympic and Kitsap peninsulas, 6 to 18 inches in Eastern Washington and 3 to 6 inches elsewhere in Western Washington.
By afternoon, the snow will turn to rain as temperatures warm. That should make for safer driving by the end of the day, Buehner said. Temperatures in Western Washington were expected to reach the 40s later this week.
Emergency officials will be closely monitoring river levels in coming days to see how much of the snow melts, because floods frequently follow these kinds of storm patterns.
Meanwhile, the cold was continuing to create problems Monday, snapping a water line near downtown Everett. The cause? The old cast-iron pipe, about three feet underground, was warmer than the cold water flowing through it.
Today’s snow isn’t expected to compare with the two storms that walloped the area between Christmas and New Year’s Eve in 1996. About 20 inches of snow fell in Everett then, said Jay Albrecht, a National Weather Service meteorologist. About 4 feet piled up in Darrington.
Damage then knocked out power to nearly 10,000 homes and businesses, collapsed roofs and wrecked the Edmonds Marina. Flooding followed, and the county was declared a disaster area.
Mike McCallister, coordinator for the Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management, said the 1996 storm taught emergency personnel some lessons.
"One of the things we learned from the ‘96 storm is that heavy snow loads with following rain was a really serious problem for homeowners in mobile home parks, particularly for elderly people with flat roofs and carports," McCallister said. "That accumulated weight of water flattened about 50 percent of our roofs in some parks."
People should look out for their neighbors in mobile homes and help them clear their roofs, he said. Do not try to spray the snow off with a hose, though, because the weight of the added water could cause roofs to cave in.
Preparations were in full gear around the county.
In Monroe, the city put de-icer on its major intersections and hills Monday. In Index, the snow will come on top of 12 inches that was already being plowed.
Everett has four dump trucks and two road graders equipped with plows. The city plows the areas around hospitals first, then main roads, then hilly side streets and finally flat side streets. Everett might not plow today if the snowfall is relatively small, because meteorologists predict the snow will turn to rain, said Tom Thetford, public utilities director.
In Mountlake Terrace, plows have already been on the road this season and are expected to be out again today. In Edmonds, crews were spreading an anti-icing chemical Monday.
The Sounder, Community Transit and Everett Transit were planning regular service today. If the snow is deep, the buses may not make stops on some hills.
Even with the plowing, roads are expected to be a mess today, said Ron Paananen of the state Department of Transportation. He advised drivers to allow themselves plenty of time, bring a shovel and pack extra blankets, water and a few healthy snacks.
"I think when (people) see how bad it is, that’s when they’ll make their decision," he said.
Reporters Scott Morris, Yoshiaki Nohara, Eric Stevick and Victor Balta contributed to this story.
Reporter Lukas Velush: 425-339-3449 or lvelush@heraldnet.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
