Weather updates: Power outages, closures as snow blankets South Sound

Update as of 2:30 p.m.: The Pierce County Sheriff’s Department reported that an 83-year-old woman fell into a wire fence and got stuck in the snow while she was on her way to feed her horses. Her daughter called 911 after her mother didn’t call when she was supposed to. Deputies went looking and found her near Woodland Avenue in the Puyallup area.

“They helped get her untangled from the fence and moved her into her car to warm her while they waited for Fire personnel to check on her,” the agency posted on Facebook. “The deputies also made sure the horses were fed and repaired the fence.”

Update as of 2 p.m.: The road to Longmire at Mount Rainier National Park is open. All vehicles are required to carry chains.

Update as of 1:46 p.m.: The National Weather Service reported that snow totals have reached a foot or more in the past 24 hours.

There’s been 18 inches in Carbonado, about 14 in Olympia and in Graham, and 12 in Lacey, one Weather Service statement said.

“Observations are collected from a variety of sources with varying equipment and exposures,” the release said. “Not all data listed are considered official.”

Update as of 12 p.m.: Information about emergency shelter for those in need is available at https://www.pchomeless.org/Facilities/Shelters. Thurston County’s Shelter Hotline is 1-844-628-7343.

Update as of 11:20 a.m.: Thurston County’s solid waste facilities are closed, as are Pierce County’s transfer stations and the University Place Refuse and Recycling Center.

Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma and Northwest Trek Wildlife Park in Eatonville are closed today and tomorrow.

A Pierce County press release said Frontier Park, Sprinker Recreation Center, North Lake Tapps Park, and the parking lots at Chambers Creek Regional Park are closed, and that the South Hill Park parking lot and Foothills Trail trailheads aren’t plowed.

“Please take great caution if using the trail or any of our trails during this snow and wind event and be aware of the potential for falling tree limbs, and slick conditions,” the press release said.

The National Weather Service has put local accumulation reports on its snowfall map.

Update as of 11 a.m.: Mount Rainier National Park tweeted earlier that the Nisqually entrance is closed while crews clear the road to Longmire. Officials said Friday that they don’t expect the road to Paradise to open this weekend.

The Northwest Avalanche Center reports high and considerable avalanche danger in different areas of Western Washington. There have been 22 avalanche fatalities reported in the United States this season.

In a Feb. 10 letter NWAC’s directors wrote: “In the past week we have experienced more recreational avalanche fatalities than during any other period in the last 100 years. These deaths are geographically diverse and many communities across the country are dealing with tragedy. On Monday, it hit closer to home for all of us in the PNW, as we experienced our first avalanche fatality of the season.”

Update as of 10 a.m.: The City of Lacey says its park gates are closed, and that walk-in users are welcome.

Sumner reports its roads are open, but that the Sumner Link Trail is closed because it hasn’t been cleared.

“... please use caution and avoid our steeper routes unless your vehicle is properly equipped,” the city tweeted.

Puyallup Police also cautioned drivers. “Minivans = Not today in the snow,” the department tweeted. “The performance of your car will not be what you hope for in the snow. Trust us.”

They posted a series of humorous tips about driving in the snow following a 2019 storm.

Update as of 9:45 a.m.: Puget Sound Energy’s outage map is reporting an estimated 154 outages are affecting 14,289 customers. Some of those outages appear to be scattered throughout the South Sound. One Greenwater-area outage is affecting nearly 500 customers, the map shows.

INITIAL POST: Snow blanketed the South Sound overnight Friday, with more forecast Saturday morning and possibly Sunday.

Asked about Pierce and Thurston County, the National Weather Service said preliminary reports suggested 7 or 8 inches had accumulated in the South Sound, but that officials were still gathering reports and expected to have better numbers later in the day.

“Pierce County saw overnight snow accumulations ranging from 4-8”, with compact snow and ice on roadways,” Pierce County tweeted Saturday morning. “Road crews are focusing on plowing major roadways and arterials.”

A National Weather Service briefing early Saturday said another 3 to 6 inches of snow was possible in the region this morning, with “snow gradually tapering from south to north across the region this afternoon.”

The forecast also called for winds of 20 to 30 mph and gusts of 40 to 55 mph until the afternoon, which might lead to fallen trees and power outages.

It cautioned that: “Temperatures below freezing this morning with wind chills as low as single digits will impact those without adequate heating, as well as pets.”

Another inch or two of snow is possible Sunday morning and afternoon, the briefing said, followed by rain that “may lead to areas of urban flooding Sunday night into Monday.”

The 2.2 inches of snow that fell Friday at SeaTac Airport broke the daily record, which had been 0.2 inches in 1995, the Weather Service reported. And the Weather Service recorded a low temperature of 26 Friday. The record had been 29 in 2004.