x
Breaking News
More () »

Schools canceled, delayed as arctic blast brings lowland snow to western Washington

Gusty winds from the Fraser River Valley brought chilling temperatures into Washington state.

The Pacific Northwest's first major storm of the season arrived north of Seattle on Sunday.

By Monday morning, around 2 inches of snow was reported in Seattle, Kirkland, and Bellevue, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). Some areas north of Seattle saw accumulation between 3 and 6 inches.

Over 150 schools canceled or delayed class Monday including Seattle, Everett, Skykomish, Granite Falls, and Sultan school districts.

LIST: School delays, closures in western Washington

RELATED: Sign up for text alerts on school closings and delays

The NWS issued a winter weather advisory for the Seattle metro areas in effect until 10 p.m. Monday.

Gusty winds from the Fraser River Valley brought chilling temperatures and snow into Washington state. The blast may bring the coldest temperatures western Washington has felt in years.

RELATED: Western Washington forecast

These winds could cause major problems with the possibility of downed trees, power outages, and blowing snow for low visibility. As of 1:15 p.m., around 9,600 Puget Sound Energy customers were without power. Snohomish County PUD said around 6,600 customers were without power.

RELATED: Timeline: Frigid temps, icy roads ahead of next round of snow

US Highway 2 is closed in both directions due to downed trees and power lines blocking the roadway. Washington State Department of Transportation officials said westbound US 2 between Stevens Pass (milepost 64) and Gold Bar (milepost 32) and eastbound US 2 between Gold Bar (milepost 32) and Skykomish (milepost 46) would remain closed until crews could safely clear the highway.

Residents who live near Skykomish said some drivers had to stay in their cars overnight Sunday or find somewhere to stay due to the closure. Anthony Vega, who lives near Skykomish, said he tried to help those who were stranded.

"It's crazy out there," Vega said. "I've literally taken, what two, four, six, eight people off the highway and have gotten them into cabins like sleeping on couches."

Residents in Whatcom, Snohomish, Skagit and King counties reported snow by late Sunday afternoon. Around 8:30 p.m., one South Everett resident said he had 3 inches. As of 9 p.m., residents in Monroe and Snohomish reported 4 inches of snow. Three inches were reported in Bellingham and 2 inches in Lynnwood. Areas of Carnation and Duvall picked up as much as 8 inches. 

WATCH: Live radar

Snow began to fall and stick to grassy areas in Seattle just after 10:30 p.m. Sunday.

Sea-Tac International Airport deployed its "Snow-Ice Traffic Management" plan Sunday even before snow began to fall. Some flights were delayed by an average of over an hour, according to the FAA. 

Associated Press contributed to this report. 

➡️ Download the KING 5 app for the forecast and pass reports on the go

Before You Leave, Check This Out