Good morning.  You have reached the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office Division of Emergency Management Daily Briefing Line.  Today is Wednesday, February 12th and the time is 9:00 am.     

Active Incidents

The “Proclamation of Emergency” signed by the Whatcom County Executive concerning the storms and flooding two weeks ago remains in effect.  Damage assessments, clean-up where possible, and repairs are continuing as conditions allow; some roads still have standing water or debris on them.  

Advisories, Watches and Warnings: 

There are no advisories, watches or warnings for our area at this time. 

Whatcom County Weather

Today we will see another mostly dry day with a sporadic shower or two which will continue overnight. Today’s highs will reach the low to mid-40s while the night-time low will drop to the mid-30s. Upper elevations will be about ten degrees cooler for the high and low. As we move into tomorrow the chance for rain here and there will continue and we could see some rain/snow mixtures from time to time in the foothills. Friday and Saturday will have a little more precipitation with the higher elevations seeing some significant snowfall. Winds will continue to be on the lighter side but tomorrow night and Friday winds in Blaine and the Sumas area will see south/southwest winds in the 10-15 mph range with gusts to 20 mph.

The Nooksack River level trend continues to slowly go down, but we will see a little rise again on Saturday and Sunday due to the rainfall that occurs Thursday night and Friday. No flooding will occur, but ponding in the lower areas will continue and some small streams may come close to the top of the bank. Please remember, do not go around “Road Closed” or “Detour” signs. You jeopardize your life as well as the responders when your vehicle becomes disabled or forced off the road by rushing water.

Coastal Weather for Whatcom County

For the Inland and Coastal Waters of Whatcom County, winds will be 20 knots or less mostly from a southerly direction for the next several days with wind waves one to three feet.

For the tides, today was the last day of King Tides for awhile.  Otherwise, tides at Cherry Point for the next two days:

Note:  We are in a period of King Tides through February 12th.

Here are a few emergency management reminders:

First, put your Winter Safety Kit in your vehicle if you haven’t done so already. Check the Washington State Department of Transportation website for a list of items to have in your kit.

Second, watch for ice and slush on the roadways especially where the temperature drops below the freezing level. And don’t forget, shaded caused by overhanging trees, mountains, or even buildings can shield the sun from thawing the frost and you could go from a dry area to patches of frost which could cause a loss of traction or vehicle control. Elevation will also make a difference as to where the freezing level is so keep alert.

Third, watch for packed snow or patches of packed snow if you are headed to the ski area or crossing the Cascades over the next couple of days. Slush or snow building up under your vehicle tires can cause your vehicle to ride on top of an unstable surface and can lead to loss of traction and vehicle control.

Fourth, keep an eye on the avalanche notifications and tree well warning. You can find information about both on the Mount Baker Ski Area Website Home Page.

Fifth, don’t drive through water flowing over roads. It only take three to six inches of fast moving water to knock you off your feet and another few inches to move vehicles as large as SUVs.  Do not go around signs or barriers; they are there for your protection and going a different route will only cost you a little bit of time.  

This briefing line is not updated on weekends unless an incident occurs.