Seattle sees coldest day since 2010 as record snow smothers West
Residents across the Pacific Northwest who were dreaming of a white Christmas had their dreams answered a day late as the latest in a line of storms spread accumulating snow across the region.
Snow fell all along the Interstate 5 corridor, including in Portland and Medford, Oregon, along with Seattle. However, few, if any, flakes fell near the Pacific coast.
"Snow totals for the Seattle area ended up being generally on the order of 2-4 inches on Sunday, with northern areas experiencing locally higher accumulations," AccuWeather Meteorologist Mary Gilbert explained.
The snow was followed up by the coldest air in over a decade. The temperature at Seattle-Tacoma airport dipped down to 17 F early Monday morning, the lowest temperature observed at the airport since Nov. 24, 2010. On that day, which was the day before Thanksgiving and one of the busiest travel days of the entire year, the mercury at the airport dipped down to 14 F.
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Snow accumulating on roads near Seattle on Dec. 26, 2021. (WSDOT) |
Fans that are used to enduring wet weather to cheer on the Seattle Seahawks found themselves in a snowstorm on Sunday afternoon as the Seahawks hosted the Chicago Bears. Officials frequently had to tend to the field due to the snow.
This is right around the date that Seattle typically experiences its first measurable snow of the season and well before other cities across the country. Chicago, which typically gets snow by mid-November, has yet to measure any snow this season.
The post-Christmas snow transformed the region into a winter wonderland, but for people heading home after the holiday, the weather led to headaches. Over 280 flights were canceled and an additional 370 delayed at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Monday, according to KIRO7 reporter Kevin Ko.
Anti-icing and snow removal is ongoing on runways, taxiways and the ramp areas. Each airline is responsible for de-icing its aircraft. The average flight delay is about an hour at this time. No delays at the TSA checkpoints. Check with your airline on delays or cancellations. pic.twitter.com/y8cd5WAL6w
— Seattle-Tacoma Intl. Airport (@flySEA) December 26, 2021
While the snow was more of a nuisance at the lower elevations, it created significant issues in the higher elevations.
In Reno, Nevada, a 20-car pileup amid snowy conditions led to three injures on Sunday, The Associated Press reported. Officials warned people about the hazardous conditions and urged folks to stay home due to the treacherous travel.
Many mountain passes were closed due to heavy accumulations and whiteout conditions, including California's Donner Pass. Travelers eager to trudge through the snow-covered roads still attempted to traverse the mountains despite warnings from officials. With Donner Pass closed, some folks turned to their GPS to find an alternate route.
One volunteer firefighter in California tweeted that vehicles were getting stuck at Hennesse Pass, located north of Donner Pass. This mountain road climbs to 6,920 feet in elevation, is not completely paved and is a treacherous journey during the winter months.
On Monday, Interstate 80 was closed at Applegate, California to Nevada due to the snow.
The Central Sierra Snow Laboratory, operated by UC Berkley, reported a new December snowfall record with over 193 inches of snow piling up throughout the month. With more snow on the way, the site could top 200 inches before the month comes to an end.
Meanwhile, ski resorts across the region welcomed the latest round of snow, especially across the Sierra.
So much snow piled up at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area that officials had to perform avalanche mitigation efforts on Monday morning.
Devil's Postpile National Monument, located at an elevation around 7,500 near Mammoth Mountain, California, was one of the snowiest places across the western United States over Christmas weekend with over 10 feet of fresh powder accumulating.
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The stormy pattern is predicted to persist across the West Coast through the rest of 2021, including the chance for more accumulating snow west of the Cascades in Oregon and Washington.
The next storm is predicted to arrive on Tuesday, followed by another storm late Thursday into Friday.
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