Snow arrives in Olympia, Thurston County

Remember when meteorologists said Thurston County probably wouldn’t see any of the snow expected elsewhere in Washington?

That was wrong.

Thick, wet flakes fell in Thurston County on Friday morning, and it was cold enough to accumulate on some area roads, although accumulation was less than 1 inch before the snow turned to rain just after noon.

The snowfall tied the record for earliest snow in Olympia. According to the National Weather Service, the earliest measurable snowfall on record for the Olympia area was Nov. 3, 1973, when 1.4 inches fell.

Average highs this time of year are usually in the 50s. On Friday, it was 35 in Olympia. Meteorologist Dana Felton told The Seattle Times that the cold northerly wind that blew in earlier in the day dropped temperatures 10 degrees in an hour shortly before the snow arrived.

Snowfall on Friday delayed hundreds of flights at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and led to the cancellation of several more. FlightAware showed 377 flights delayed and 41 cancelled.

Airport officials said low visibility from the storm was preventing planes from taking off as quickly.

Mount Baker and the Paradise area of Mount Rainier National Park both received more than 10 inches of powder Friday. Hurricane Ridge Road shut down due to road conditions.

Another system will move in Saturday and possibly bring more rain/snow mix. The snow level is expected to drop to 500 feet.

It’ll warm up to 44 degrees Saturday and rain is in the forecast for Sunday.

This story was originally published November 3, 2017 at 9:21 AM with the headline "Snow arrives in Olympia, Thurston County."