SEATTLE – The lowlands of Western Washington got a heavy dose of wind and rain Saturday night as the mountains continued to get a heavy blanket of new snow.
"The snow level is sitting right around 2,000 feet and that will be dropping even more as we get into this evening," Weathercaster Lisa Van Cise said.
Before this storm moves out of the area, up to 30 inches of snow is expected in the Cascades and up to 40 inches of snow in the Olympics. KING 5 viewers ranging from Seabeck to the Kitsap Peninsula reported seeing snow overnight.
Up at the Snoqualmie Pass, the big plows were geared up by early Saturday evening, patrolling the roads and I-90, clearing up shoulders in anticipation of what could be heavy overnight snow.
"It's a weekend, traffic volumes are up, so we've got extra crews on the road keeping it safe for drivers," said Summer Derrey, spokeswoman for the Washington State Department of Transportation. "Definitely want to remind drivers that we’re in winter time and that you need to be prepared and bring chains.”
WSDOT has called in 19 crew members to run plow trucks; some are driving in from Seattle and Ellensburg, said Derrey.
"Compared to last year, we had 5 inches of snow at this time," said Derrey. "[This season] to this date, we've had 70 inches up over Snoqualmie Pass."
A winter storm warning was in effect until 9 p.m. Sunday for the west slopes of the Cascades and passes.
But while the plows worked the roads, skiers were eager to get in some early runs.
Paul Strickler and his family came up as soon as they heard the Snoqualmie Summit Central runs were opening this weekend.
"It is kind of wet today," said Strickler, "but it really didn't matter, just to get out here and get up in the snow and have fun."
The DOT warns drivers to have chains and traction tires on standby. They also said avalanche crews may be performing control work, which could shut down portions of I-90 in both directions.
Snow isn't the only weather worry. Strong winds roared through the North Sound Saturday night and a wind advisory is in effect for much of Western Washington until this afternoon.
The winds were strong enough to tear down the welcome sign at one Burlington RV park. Resident Leon Eargood said this week a 59 mph blast lifted his 40-foot trailer right off of its foundation.
"The whole trailer lifted up and dropped," he said.
Eargood said winds have tossed propane tanks around like marbles and ripped canopies right off of other trailers. He said the 12-foot boat that he stores near his trailer was blown around liked "an oversized toboggan."
We'll get a break from the rain this afternoon, but another storm is lining up to arrive Monday, said Van Cise. But it will be weaker and warmer.
A flood warning for the Skokomish River has been extended until Monday. The NWS says while the river has fallen to near or just below flood stage, by early Sunday morning it could rise again. In addition, a planned release of water from Cushman Dam No. 2 will send water into the north fork of the Skokomish River.
A flood watch remains in effect for the lower reach of the Chehalis River in Grays Harbor County, which has been within a foot of flood stage.
Thousands left with out power Ore., southwest Wash.
In Oregon, electricity for nearly 43,000 Pacific Power customers was cut off by winds around 3:30 a.m. Sunday. Pacific Power spokesman Tom Gauntt says the majority of outages occurred in Astoria, Seaside, and in the Grants Pass area.
Gauntt says that at 7:30 this morning, more than 9,600 remained without power.
The Oregonian reports that more than 18,000 Portland General Electric customers in Clackamas, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Washington, and Yamhill counties were without power early Sunday.
In Cowlitz County in Washington, high winds struck down power to more than 11,200 homes early Sunday. Hours later, 3,300 of those homes -- served by Public Utility District No.1 -- were still without power.
