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Olympia could get 6 to 14 inches on Wednesday alone before the show changes to rain that afternoon or evening, said Johnny Burg, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Seattle. And that’s on top of 1 to 3 inches forecast for today.
The snow could challenge Olympia’s highest recorded 24-hour snowfall – 14.2 inches recorded on Jan. 24, 1972.
“If I could I would take (today) … and Wednesday off,” Burg said.
Meanwhile, several bands of snow showers pushed through the South Sound on Monday, leaving a few inches of snow but causing relatively little trouble.
Burg said forecasters aren’t quite sure about the details of the coming snowstorm. It’s unclear when the snow will change to rain, which will affect snow totals. The North Sound, such as Bellingham, won’t change to snow until probably Thursday, he said.
After the switchover to rain, the wet weather will continue into the weekend. There’s not a dry day in sight, Burg said. It’s possible that temperatures might dip below freezing Saturday night, with a possibility of more snow before temperatures warm again on Sunday.
Snow totals in the mountain passes will be measured in feet.
The snow canceled a number of events scheduled for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, including the annual celebration at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts. That’s the first cancellation in the event’s history, which goes back more than 20 years, according to the recollection of Ruth Elder, a member of the Thurston Diversity Council. With many participants coming from rural areas, Elder said it was important to be safe.
“If one person gets hurt, it’s not worth it,” she said.
The hope is to reschedule the event for Black History Month (February), she said.
South Puget Sound Community College students hoped to collect food for the Thurston County Food Bank at several area supermarkets, but had to cancel those efforts as well, organizer Megan Rowland said.
Most people enjoyed the holiday at home and stayed off the roads.
Thurston County emergency dispatchers reported a slow day. Two people had to be removed from a car after an accident on Blue Hills Drive in Yelm, but there were no major injuries. A structure fire was also reported in the 13000 block of Solberg Road in Yelm.
Matt Batcheldor: 360-704-6869
mbatcheldor@theolympian.com
