The worst storm so far this winter might disrupt the Friday morning commute before it quickly blows away.
Meteorologists warn Whatcom County residents to remain vigilant, even after it warms up. Floods become a threat Friday afternoon, Jan. 20.
Rain and warm air will move in Friday morning, but the National Weather Service is uncertain of the timing - which could make all the difference for the morning drive to work.
UPDATE: A winter weather advisory issued for western Whatcom County has been extended to 4 p.m. Friday, meaning precipitation could fall as snow or freezing rain. Up to three inches of new snow, or a thin layer of ice, could cover roads, highways and trees before possibly heavy rains wash it away.
City, county and state crews continue to work around the clock to salt, sand and de-ice roadways before the morning rush hour.
"While Bellingham and Whatcom County escaped the severe ice issues experienced in central and south Puget Sound (Thursday), we may not be so lucky Friday," a city press release said.
The statement warned of "dangerous ice conditions" Friday morning on roads.
Weather Service meteorologist Brad Colman said if freezing rain accumulates in Whatcom County, it would be nothing like the severe ice storm on Thursday that felled branches and trees and knocked out power to more than 200,000 Puget Sound residents.
"We're not expecting a lot of precipitation, and it should be a relatively quick transitioning" to warmer air, Colman said.
State roads such as Guide Meridian and Mount Baker Highway were in good shape Thursday afternoon, Department of Transportation spokesman Dustin Terpening said, but he said freezing rain was of special concern.
"Let's just hope that we don't get any freezing rain; that stuff can be ugly," Terpening said. "The snow makes driving challenging enough."
Ice on branches can cause limbs or whole trees to fall into power lines, cutting off electricity to homes and businesses. If the power fails, people are asked to report the outage to Puget Sound Energy at 1-888-225-5773.
The Weather Service issued a flood watch for western Whatcom County, from Friday afternoon to Saturday afternoon. Flooding could occur around blocked storm drains or small creeks, as potentially heavy rain falls on melting snow and ice.
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