The weather over the next 36 hours is bringing a little bit of everything, most of it messy and unpleasant — especially for those who will attempt to travel for the upcoming holiday weekend.
Unfortunately, predicting just how bad the weather will get can be messy, too.
The National Weather Service is not raising too many alarms for Whatcom County. The deep cold that has been blowing in from the Fraser Valley over the past few days may bring a silver lining: a reduced risk of freezing rain on Friday compared to points south.
“Your proximity to the Fraser outflow will keep your snow levels lower than the rest of the region,” Weather Service meteorologist Dev McMillian said Thursday morning. “You’ll see the potential for more snowfall risk than freezing-rain risk.”
Bellingham city officials, on the other hand, are erring on the side of caution. They warned residents to be prepared for up to 4 inches of snow and “substantial amounts of freezing rain early Friday morning.”
“Residents are advised to take advantage of the decent road conditions Thursday to complete any travel needs, such as shopping and other errands, and plan to avoid unnecessary travel on Friday until conditions improve,” a city news release said.
In any case, accumulations predicted for Whatcom County Thursday evening through Friday should be more manageable than the foot of snow that fell on Tuesday.
McMillian said the county should expect a half-inch to 1.5 inches over the next 24 hours. The Weather Service is calling for possible freezing rain in Bellingham from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday.
The threat of freezing rain is greater in Blaine, according to the Weather Service’s online forecast. Up to a tenth of an inch of ice may accumulate.
Freezing rain falls as liquid and freezes after it hits a cold surface — including roads and power lines.
Rain, and a lot of it, is expected from Friday afternoon through Saturday evening. Rainfall totals in the lowlands could be an inch or more.
“There’s sort of an atmospheric river coming in over the weekend,” McMillian said.
Heavy rain combined with rapid snowmelt will cause the Nooksack River to rise considerably into early next week, but so far the river is predicted to crest below flood stage.
“Stay tuned, that could change in subsequent forecasts,” McMillian said.
Drivers and pedestrians also should be alert for possible street flooding resulting from clogged drains, the Weather Service said.
City operations returned mostly to normal today. The Bellingham Public Library, Arne Hanna Aquatic Center, Whatcom Museum and City Hall are open on Thursday. The library and Arne Hanna will close Friday for the holiday.
Bellingham’s day-use warming center is open at Bellingham Central Library’s lecture room until 5:30 p.m. Thursday. Bellingham’s overnight shelter will remain open through Friday night, and the Ferndale overnight shelter is only scheduled to remain open through Thursday night.
