Fresh snow overnight followed by freezing rain early Friday morning created a beautiful but treacherous landscape. Most surfaces have a layer of ice and streets are dangerously slick. Services are impacted and City officials advise people to avoid all unnecessary travel.
Most City of Bellingham services except public safety responses are now closed for the holiday weekend, Dec. 23-26, including the Bellingham Public Library. In addition to scheduled closures, the following services are unavailable today due to weather conditions:
- The Whatcom Museum campus is closed due to weather conditions, expected to re-open for regular hours on Dec. 28. For information, visit whatcommuseum.org
- Most restroom facilities in Bellingham parks are closed due to weather conditions.
Sanitary Service Company (SSC) has informed City officials that the company decided not to operate today due to unsafe weather conditions. “Freezing rain on top of existing snow has created hazardous street conditions throughout our service area,” said SSC General Manager Ted Carlson. “We understand our customers rely on our essential services so this is not a decision we take lightly. However, due to the circumstances we believe it is safer for our drivers and the traveling public to keep SSC trucks off of the streets today.”
City crews continue to clear streets of snow and ice in 24/7 shifts, this morning focusing primarily on flat, arterial streets due to dangerous conditions. For information about City snow/ice removal visit cob.org/snow. Residents who must travel today are encouraged to follow winter driving safety tips.
Weather forecasts indicate continued warming over the weekend. As weather warms, City officials and other area emergency personnel are preparing for the possibility of localized flooding due to snowmelt drainage and forecasted rain. These conditions will continue to be monitored during the holiday weekend.
