DOES SEQUIM GET SNOW?

Averaging only about 16 inches of annual rainfall and yet only being about 36 miles from the only rainforest in the continental US, Sequim WA sits in a very unique spot. Mild temperatures, vast mountain views, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and a very unique culture don’t begin explaining the beauty of what The Northern Olympic Peninsula has to offer. There are plenty of short walks or long hikes to keep you in tune with nature and enjoying the large amounts of wildlife that flock to this abundant paradise.

Typically, families bring their sleds, snowshoes, and snowboards to the Olympic Mountains this time of year for endless amounts of fun. However, in the first time since December of 1996, the Olympics have come to the families’ front doors bringing 3 feet of snow with them. Despite Sequim’s average of a low 2 inches of snow per year, this community has banded together to help each other plow, shovel, and carpool during this rather unusual snowstorm. The locals are really enjoying the beauty of the snow as it flutters through the air and sticks to the evergreen trees.

Please remember that snow and ice can be very heavy and dangerous when piled up on roofs of houses, cars, campers, sheds, etc. Safety Fun Fact: “The weight of 1 foot of fresh snow ranges from 3 pounds per square foot for light, dry snow to 21 pounds per square foot for wet, heavy snow (Gooch, 1999). One inch of ice weighs a little less than 5 pounds per square foot, and 1 foot of ice weighs approximately 57 pounds per square foot.” – www.fema.gov