LYNNWOOD, Wash., January 2, 2022 – The National Weather Service forecasts a lot of rain and some snow this week, Monday through Friday, in Lynnwood and throughout Snohomish County. Temperatures are to fluctuate just slightly below to above freezing each day.
Snohomish County Road Maintenance crews are now working primarily to clear secondary and tertiary roads throughout the unincorporated areas of the county. The crews have cleared more than 80,000 road miles during the past week. Crew will transition from a 24/7 operation to regular shifts with the change in temperature.
“Our Road Maintenance crews have done a great job of removing the snow, but we know there is a lot of ice out on the roads,” Snohomish County Public Works Director Kelly Snyder said. “We are continuing to put down sand for traction in those stubborn icy areas until it starts to thaw out.”
Staff is also responding to other elements of the storm, such as downed trees, and will continue to work with Snohomish County Public Utility District (PUD) to respond to downed powerline situations. With temperatures expected to rise above freezing throughout the week, Public Works encourages residents to clear all drains of snow, ice or any other debris. This will allow the melting snow to flow freely into drains and help reduce the risk of urban flooding.
Upcoming Weather Forecast (Jan 2 to Jan 7)
- This Afternoon (Jan 2): Rain, mainly after 1pm. High near 42. Breezy, with a south wind 21 to 23 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
- Tonight: Rain. Low around 33. South southeast wind 11 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
- Monday: Rain showers before 10am, then rain and snow showers between 10am and 1pm, then rain showers after 1pm. High near 39. South wind 10 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
- Monday Night: Rain showers before 7pm, then rain and snow showers. Low around 32. South southeast wind 7 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
- Tuesday: Snow showers, possibly mixed with rain. High near 39. South wind 7 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
- Tuesday Night: Rain showers likely before 1am, then a chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 32. Chance of precipitation is 70%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
- Wednesday: A chance of rain and snow before 10am, then a chance of snow between 10am and 1pm, then a chance of rain and snow after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 38. Chance of precipitation is 40%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
- Wednesday Night: A chance of rain and snow before 10pm, then rain. Cloudy, with a low around 34.
- Thursday: Rain. Cloudy, with a high near 42.
- Thursday Night: Rain. Cloudy, with a low around 38.
- Friday: Rain. Cloudy, with a high near 42.
- Friday Night: Rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 34.
- Saturday: A chance of rain and snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 40.
Tips for driving in icy conditions
Before heading out today or during a snow or ice event, it is highly recommended that commuters check their travel routes and options. For those venturing through unincorporated Snohomish County, visit the Public Works Snow and Ice webpage for road closure information and more. The new snow removal and anti-icing map shows which routes are primary and secondary and allows residents to see what county roads have been recently plowed, sanded or had anti-icing applied.
When driving in icy road conditions remember the following:
- Accelerate and decelerate slowly. Don’t try to get moving in a hurry. And take time to slow down for a stoplight.
- Drive slowly. Everything takes longer on ice-covered roads.
- Increase following distance. The normal dry pavement following distance of three to four seconds should be increased to eight to ten seconds. This increased margin of safety will provide the longer distance needed if you have to stop.
- Know your brakes. If you have anti-lock brakes (ABS) and need to slow down quickly, press hard on the pedal-it’s normal for the pedal to vibrate a bit when the ABS is activated.
- Don’t stop if you can avoid it. If you can slow down enough to keep rolling until a traffic light changes, do it.
- Don’t power up hills. Try to get a little inertia going before you reach the hill and let that inertia carry you to the top. As you reach the crest of the hill, reduce your speed and proceed downhill as slowly as possible.
- Don’t stop going up a hill. Get some inertia going on a flat roadway before you take on the hill.
For more tools and tips for snow preparedness by Snohomish County Public Works, especially for those venturing to east of the county, click here.
Public calls requesting service will be addressed where possible. The prioritization of snow and ice routes is based on traffic volume, transit and school bus routes, terrain, and knowledge of problem areas.
Author: Mario Lotmore
