Storm drops 18+ inches of snow in Port Angeles

PORT ANGELES, Wash. – The Olympic Peninsula got slammed with snow, more than a foot-and-a-half fell overnight. Strong wind gusts followed on Wednesday.

Sequim was spared the deep snow but just a few miles away to the east neighbors were digging out.

“Well, we’re having fun right now,” said Heather Buckmaster in Port Angeles.

Just like the rest of her neighbors, they woke to piles of snow burying the street and their cars.

“I have a four-wheel drive,” she said. “I just have to get it out.”

The roads in town were covered in snow and slush. What has yet to be cleared will likely freeze overnight.

John Madden got a workout clearing some of the sidewalks downtown with his snowblower.

“I had this snowblower sitting gathering dust,” he said. “I bought it last year and it paid for itself in one day.”

Nearly one year ago in February, the Olympic Peninsula was buried in another strong snowstorm. Some think this time Port Angeles was hit worse.

“This is more,” said Kirsten Nielsen. “That was quite the storm last night. It seemed like it snowed about a foot in an hour.”

“This store has never been closed due to weather for a full day in 35 years,” said Allen Turner.

Turner and his wife run Port Book and News, but shoppers were hard to find in the snow.

“Tell everyone in Seattle if they want to come, they can park at First and Lincoln,” he said. “But they’ve only got about another hour or so to get here.”

Around the block volunteers were digging out what’s left of the town’s ice-skating rink.

The heavy snow was no match for the structure, and it collapsed onto itself over night. Nobody was hurt.

"There is a minor hope that we can get the rink operating again this weekend,” said Marc Abshire with Port Angeles Chamber of Commerce.

Strong winds were forecast through Wednesday which could cause power outages.