Ice storm: Freezing rain downs lines near Bellingham
SEATTLE (AP) – Officials in northwestern Washington were telling people to stay inside as an ice storm struck the region Friday afternoon and evening.
The Bellingham Herald reports freezing rain toppled trees and branches, knocked down power lines and poles and caused a house fire around Bellingham.
The National Weather Service issued an ice storm warning for that area until midnight Saturday.
Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office Division of Emergency Management says roads were slick with ice and blocked by fallen trees.
Puget Sound Energy reported about 20,000 customers had lost power Friday night in Bellingham and north of the city near the Canadian border.
The National Weather Service in Seattle says 1 to 2 feet of snow are expected in the North Cascades.
The weather service says parts of northwest Oregon and southwest Washington may get up to several inches of rain. A flood watch was in effect in that region until late Friday.
