Winter Weather — Eastern Strait of Juan De Fuca, Washington

2020-12-21 · Eastern Strait of Juan De Fuca, Washington

Event narrative

A strong cold front led to the changeover from rain to a dense, wet snow during the afternoon hours of December 21. Snow quickly accumulated on grassy surfaces and roadways, creating some slick travel conditions. Reports of a quick 1-4 inches of new snow (an isolated report of 6 inches) was reported between Port Angeles and Sequim. Washington State Patrol responded to multiple vehicle spinouts and a car accident on US 101 between Lake Crescent (MP 231) and Hansen Road (MP 240).

Wider weather episode

A strong cold front moved through Western Washington through the day on December 21. After a morning of fairly mild conditions, temperatures and snow levels drastically dropped in the wake of the front, with rain changing to dense, wet snow and quickly accumulating on roads and grassy surfaces. Lowland areas across far northern portions of Western Washington (Western Whatcom County, the San Juan Islands, and Clallam Counties) received between 2-4 inches of snow in a short period of time. Road conditions rapidly deteriorated across the county, including portions of I-5 north of Ferndale in Whatcom County.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 934869. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.