There was a dusting of snow across the Ferndale area for a few hours this morning, Friday, February 8th, and, with ground temperatures already near freezing, what fell stuck around. But, as the latest forecasts said to expect, there was only about half an inch to a couple inches to stick around.
Shortly after the snowfall ended, north-northeast winds began to pick up. As of 5:30pm, wind gusts were approaching 40mph.
Looking ahead, wind gusts are expected continue increasing reaching 50mph by midnight and perhaps 60mph by 9am. A High Wind Warning remains in effect until midnight Saturday.
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Click for more informationWinds this powerful can be expected to down trees and tree branches causing power outages as were experienced earlier this week. Making preparations for being without power for an extended period during this cold weather is advised.
There remains a possibility for additional snow overnight. Forecasters say there is a 40% chance of precipitation with new snow accumulations of less than half an inch possible by morning. The chance of precipitation drops to 20% tomorrow with less than a quarter of an inch of new snow expected.
Temperatures are expected to drop into the 20s tomorrow and into the teens tomorrow night.
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Click for more informationWind speeds are expected to drop Sunday morning and there is no snow in the forecast until Sunday night for the Ferndale area when there’s a slight possibility for snow. The potential for inches of more snow is expected to return Tuesday and continue through Thursday.
There has been some chatter among forecasters that this current weather pattern may continue for a couple weeks.
Washington State Governor Jay Inslee issued a State of Emergency proclamation due to the severe winter storm and its impacts across the state. For instance, the Seattle metro area received a few inches of snowfall today and is expecting another 3 to 5 inches overnight.
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Click for more informationWhatcom County Department of Emergency Management said in an email late this afternoon Whatcom County residents should now be prepared for wind gusts up to 70mph and possibly higher through Saturday.
Whatcom County Health Department said winter shelters in Bellingham are open and additional beds have been activated in response to the cold weather. Health works with Whatcom Homeless Service Center, the Lighthouse Mission and the Opportunity Council to plan for and check on those who are unsheltered.
The Lighthouse Mission Ministries (LMM), Fountain Community Church and the City of Bellingham have activated their emergency overflow plan to open additional capacity in overnight and day shelters. Click here for more details.