WHATCOM COUNTY, Wash. — Snow began falling about 4pm, Tuesday, January 4th, along a narrow swath of Whatcom County in the immediate path of frigid air flowing from the Fraser Valley outflow. By midnight much of the northern and eastern parts of the county had seen new accumulations of snow and sub-freezing temperatures.
By the same time, areas around Bellingham and to the south continued to remain above freezing without any new snow.
Also by midnight, first responders had dealt with over a dozen traffic incidents across the weather impacted parts of the county.
In 1 incident, according to the Washington State Patrol (WSP), a pedestrian walking along Valley Highway by the Nooksack River bridge was struck by a plow truck and pronounced dead.
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Click for more informationThere had been an earlier car versus pedestrian fatality on the Guide Meridian but that occurred before the snow began to fall and was determined not to have been weather-related.
In another incident, the WSP said a northbound Honda Odyssey minivan failed to stop at the stop sign at the intersection of Everson Goshen Road and East Pole Road (SR544) due to icy road conditions and slid into the path of a Peterbilt semi-truck pulling a trailer. The driver of the Honda was transported by ambulance to PeaceHealth St Joseph Medical Center.
Later, first responders were called out after a single-vehicle crash at the intersection of Hampton and Northwood Roads. Initial reports from the scene were that the vehicle had caught fire after crashing. It was considered a total loss.
Due the ongoing subfreezing temperatures, road conditions did not improve overnight. As a result, school districts announced delays, closures and returning to remote classes.