Seattle cold snap continues with temps in the teens, high of 25 ( www.seattletimes.com )
Temperatures fell to 14 degrees overnight in Seattle, ushering in a bleak and biting chill the city hasn’t seen for over a decade. Temperatures are unlikely to surpass a high of 25 degrees Saturday as a blanket of clouds settles over the city.
But the dip in temperatures won’t bring snow, forecasters say. Snowfall is expected to miss the city and instead go south over Olympia and Lewis County.
“The big weather story here is the cold,” said Dana Felton, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Seattle.
The last time Seattle had a high of 25 degrees was in 2010. If temperatures fail to hit that mark, Saturday will become the coldest day in a quarter century.
Amid the frigid temperatures, thousands of people lost power in South Seattle, with more than 1,600 Seattle City Light customers between Interstate 5 and Seward Park remaining in the dark as of roughly 11:30 a.m.
Meanwhile, public health officials advised residents to bundle up, drive safely and recognize the signs of hypothermia.
Warning signs can include uncontrolled shivering, confusion, slurred speech, extreme exhaustion and lack of consciousness. If a person is experiencing hypothermia — which can be exacerbated by wet clothes, exhaustion, hunger or alcohol — they or others should immediately call 911 for medical help.
Pets and livestock should also be kept dry and warm with clean, unfrozen water, officials said.
The weekend cold front is the result of a cold air mass that has dropped down over the northern United States, as massive winter storms hit much of the country. Seattle will experience just the edge of the cold front, however. In Spokane, temperatures dropped below zero, and in Montana they have fallen below minus 25 degrees.
Friday’s high of just 10 degrees in Bellingham marked the coldest day there in 59 years.
Sunday and Monday will bring incrementally higher temperatures, with sun expected both days, before another weather system arrives Tuesday. Seattle could see a possibility of snow Tuesday afternoon, but forecasters expect mostly rain into the middle of the week.
Until at least Tuesday, severe weather shelters are open overnight at the Exhibition Hall at Seattle Center and the Salvation Army in Sodo. The Urban League is open for people younger than 25, and the YMCA’s Angeline’s Day Center is available for single women. Families with children should call the Family Shelter Intake Line at 206-245-1026.
