Snow stalls La Conner but for how long?

Bill Reynolds | Feb 13, 20190

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THOSE BLUE MOUNTAIN MAJESTIES, ABOVE OUR FIELDS OF SNOW – Add red-stemmed blueberry bushes and for all the world to see is a patriotic winter scene. It is Nancy’s “favorite snow pic from the valley scenes so far.” – Photo by Nancy Crowell

As snow piled up in La Conner, so did meeting agendas.

A rare extended winter storm, which blanketed the local area with an estimated eight inches of white, led both La Conner Schools and the Town of La Conner to shelve regularly scheduled meetings this week.

La Conner Schools cancelled budget and board of directors planning meetings Monday, plus that night’s Tri-District ‘B’ basketball game between the Lady Braves and Orcas.

Campus classes were nixed on Monday and Tuesday, the latter cancellation having been advised by Skagit County officials, said La Conner Superintendent of Schools Dr. Whitney Meissner.

“The Director of Emergency Management of Skagit County recommended we stay closed,” Meissner said in an email to school district staff Monday night. “I am following his advice.”

Weather permitting, the girls’ basketball playoff game will be played today (Wednesday) at 4 p.m. at Landy James Gym.

The La Conner High boys’ Tri-District contest at Seattle Lutheran was shifted – again, weather permitting – to Thursday at 5 p.m.

With La Conner residents using sleds, skis and snowboards to navigate town streets, the Tuesday night Council session was likewise scuttled.

“I spoke with the Mayor earlier this morning,” Town Administrator Scott Thomas said Tuesday, “and after looking at the latest weather forecasts and road conditions – we had a group that was supposed to come up from Seattle for a presentation – we decided to cancel the meeting.

“We felt it was just too risky,” Thomas stressed.

Thomas had driven to work Tuesday morning on snow-packed McLean Road northeast of town.

“I know our Council members could walk or ski – as I’ve already seen one of our Council member doing – to the meeting,” Thomas said, “but the risk is too great. If just one person flew into a ditch, it would be one too many.”

Weather forecasts called for a mix of snow and freezing rain through Tuesday, with falling temperatures after dark threatening to further slicken road surfaces. Likely rain late in the week would melt the Washington Street sledding hill.

Meissner planned driving to Mount Vernon Tuesday night to assess school levy election totals.

“I am hoping to be at the Auditor’s Office tonight,” she said Tuesday, “when the results are announced.”

Cold calculations: Flurry of local snow plans put in motion

It has been tough sledding in the La Conner area the past few days.

That is certainly true for some otherwise everyday pursuits here.

While recurring snowfall and sub-freezing temperatures have made for ideal sledding conditions, the unusually severe and lingering winter blast – dubbed Snowmageddon by some – almost immediately impacted school, work, shopping and travel plans in and around La Conner.

Those impacts are mitigated, however, by a series of local winter emergency measures, for the most part a concerted effort to see the community safely through a cold snap some forecasters say could last until the end of the month.

La Conner School District, for example, has modified daily schedules, variously starting late, cutting short afternoon activities or cancelling classes altogether.

Those calls are made after weather reports are monitored, road surfaces evaluated and input weighed among school administrators and staff, especially bus drivers who navigate the district’s rural routes.

“It’s all coordinated,” says La Conner Schools Transportation Director Kim Pedroza. “We watch the forecasts closely and assess everything in advance.”

That includes checking out roadways early enough so that any late-breaking schedule changes can be texted, posted on-line, and reported to broadcast stations well before daybreak.

Pedroza added that La Conner buses are equipped with automatic tire chains that drivers can engage for added traction if the need arises.

Those drivers are trained to cope with any and all kinds of Pacific Northwest weather, she said.

“Our drivers have experience driving in winter conditions and do a fantastic job, every one of them,” Pedroza stressed.

The district also has the option of using “snow routes,” in which student riders meet collectively at a designated spot so buses don’t have to pass over heavily iced sections of road.

The Town of La Conner Public Works crew has been kept busy plowing, sanding, and de-icing streets and keeping sidewalks clear during the ongoing rounds of inclement weather.

It’s all time-consuming and labor intensive. It is also vitally essential, said Public Works Director Brian Lease.

“We have a snow and ice removal policy,” Lease said. “We’re dealing with Mother Nature, and a lot of it gets down to personnel and constantly watching weather forecasts so we know what to prepare for and how to deploy our crew. The ultimate goal is to keep our streets passable.”

Public Works does so not just for regular traffic but must also anticipate emergency vehicles needing to access La Conner streets, Lease said.

La Conner Hook & Ladder Chief Aaron Reinstra said preparation is likewise a key for his department.

“We’ve been chaining up our rigs and clearing our area in case people need a place to go,” said Reinstra, who made his rounds last weekend despite suffering the effects of a nasty cold.

Both Lease and Reinstra confer regularly with Mayor Ramon Hayes.

For Lease, those conversations during snowy stretches involve whether to close the Washington and Second Street hills to traffic, converting them to popular sledding venues.

“Ramon and I keep in contact with that,” Lease confirmed.

Collaboration is likewise employed across Swinomish Channel during snow and ice events, teaming Fire District 13 and Tribal departments.

Swinomish Police, Emergency Management and Public Works coordinate duties and roles, having met last week in advance of reports calling for between five and eight inches of snowfall between Friday and Saturday.

“We’ve been working to bring all our four-wheel drive vehicles on line,” said Swinomish Lt. Earl Cowan, “and we’ll have tow straps in case people need help getting out of ditches.”

In an attempt to limit such mishaps, the Shelter Bay Community, with an extensive network of winding, often hilly streets, has had its snowplow engaged for over a week.

Meanwhile, the winter weather and forecasts of more to come have had wide-ranging effects on local business.

The La Conner Chamber of Commerce closed its office Friday and Saturday due to icy roads and streets. Some downtown stores, including long-established Jenning’s Yarn Shop, followed suit on Sunday.

Yet across Morris Street from the Chamber, Pioneer Market bustled with a run on enviro-friendly rock salt in advance of the weekend.

“I called everywhere between Smoky Point and Bellingham,” Pioneer Market Manager Barry Whipple said Friday, “and I could only get 23 boxes.”

Within an hour – well before that day’s snow hit – three boxes of the “safe salt” had sold.

If predictions hold true, Whipple will need to re-stock.

“We’re expecting a pretty decent storm system,” Swinomish Emergency Management Coordinator Jim Sande said Thursday afternoon, “and perhaps successive ones in the next week or two.”