Buried in snow, Puget Sound region braces for the ‘Big Kahuna’
Feb 9, 2019, 8:35 AM | Updated: Feb 10, 2019, 7:57 pm
Snow at Thornewood Castle. (Randy Foley)
(Randy Foley)
Seattle Public Schools, among other districts around Western Washington, issued a closure alert for Monday, Feb. 11, as snow began to fall on Sunday.
School closings in the region
Weather forecast
Check Seattle’s snow plow map
Washington mountain pass webcams
The National Weather Service issued a Winter Storm Advisory for most of Western Washington, including the Olympic Peninsula, in effect through 4 a.m. on Monday. A Winter Storm Watch begins after that and lasts through Tuesday afternoon.
Climate scientist Cliff Mass warns of a storm bigger than anything we’ve seen this week for Tuesday, labeling it “the Big Kahuna of snow.” According to him, parts of the region could be measuring snow in feet.
KIRO 7’s Morgan Palmer agrees with Mass on the week’s possible storm, calling for a “potentially significant” snow storm Monday afternoon through Tuesday, with “major accumulation.”
The National Weather Service says accumulations in Seattle could range between 4 and 8 inches, while areas north of Seattle — largely in Snohomish County — could be hit by 9 to 12 inches.
More snow fell Sunday, for what Palmer described as a “quick-hitting snowstorm.” Accumulations range between 1 and 4 inches.
*1st System: This Afternoon-Tonight*
Expect snow to push into the Puget Sound area later this afternoon and continue into the early overnight hours. There will be a BRIEF break in precipitation tomorrow morning before the next system arrives. #WAwx pic.twitter.com/rFdQk02u0z
— NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) February 10, 2019
*2nd System: Monday-Tuesday Night*
Here are updates for the Monday-Tuesday system. There is significant uncertainty in regards to precipitation type, especially Seattle south. Expect some additional changes to the forecast. Stay tuned for updates. #WAwx pic.twitter.com/DDkgsVc6s6
— NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) February 10, 2019
Power outages struck across the region, hitting Puget Sound Energy customers the hardest.
Puget Sound Energy: 12,000 customers
Seattle City Light: 6 customers
Snohomish County PUD: 0 customers
Tacoma Public Utilities: 3 customers
Seattle has a website dedicated to the snow storm with information on the city’s response. For information on warming shelters for homeless, there’s a running list here.
For continuing updates on snow throughout the weekend, stay tuned here:
