Quick answer
In the week before Christmas 2022, arctic air brought heavy snow, lows in the teens and wind chills below zero to parts of Northwest Washington, followed by freezing rain on December 22 and 23. Plumbers in Skagit and Whatcom counties reported heavy call volume for frozen and burst pipes. The lessons are familiar: insulate, keep the building warm and know your main shutoff.
The cold arrives, December 19 to 24
The Office of the Washington State Climatologist, in its January 2023 report, says a more anomalous cold snap began on December 19, 2022, after an already cold start to the month that included a 17 degree low at Bellingham on December 1. The report describes widespread low-elevation snow across the central and northern Puget Sound region, and temperatures that warmed rapidly on December 23. Winds turned southwest or south on December 24, and the precipitation fell as rain. The report does not name the four counties and gives no snowfall totals for them. It does list Bellingham's December average temperature as 34.5 degrees, 5.3 below normal, tied for the ninth coldest December there since records began in 1949.
The account below follows local reporting, county by county, day by day.
Snohomish County: forecast lows near 10
On December 19, The Herald in Everett reported that a winter storm warning covered much of Western Washington from 7 p.m. Monday to 7 p.m. Tuesday. Forecasts called for 2 to 4 inches in Everett and more along U.S. 2, where Gold Bar and Index had already seen about 4 inches. The National Weather Service forecast Wednesday night lows of 7 degrees in Monroe and Arlington and 10 in Everett, against a historic average low of about 36. A meteorologist told the paper it would be unusually cold through Friday, with record cold possible through Thursday.
The Herald also reported that 134 people used the county's cold weather shelters on Monday night, and that rain was forecast for the following weekend, with flooding possible as snow melted. These were forecasts. The sources reviewed did not give measured lows for Everett.
Whatcom County: deep snow and wind chills below zero
The Bellingham Herald reported on December 20 that 12 to 15 inches of snow had fallen overnight in parts of Whatcom County, that Bellingham International Airport dropped to 16 degrees, and that the cold snap was expected to last through Thursday, December 22. The report listed exposed pipes among the risks of freezing conditions.
A local report published December 21 gave Wednesday morning readings. At 5 a.m. Bellingham International Airport was at 14 degrees with a wind chill of minus 3, and Ferndale was at 11. Before noon the airport reached 13 degrees with a wind chill of minus 7. Winds were in the low teens, enough to drift snow and cause whiteout conditions in northern parts of the county. The report added that the National Weather Service warned of ice from freezing rain Thursday night into Friday, which could damage trees and power lines.
Island County: snow on Whidbey
The South Whidbey Record reported that snow peaked on Tuesday, December 20. A Navy spokesperson reported just under 6 inches on the Navy base in the north end, and South Whidbey Fire/EMS reported about 4 inches in the south end. The paper described slick roads, a crash between two semi trucks that spilled diesel near Clinton, suspended Island Transit routes, a closed county office in Coupeville, and Oak Harbor City Hall closing early from Tuesday through Thursday. The Record did not report temperatures or power outages, and the sources reviewed for Island County contained no pipe or water system reports.
December 22 and 23: freezing rain and power outages
Freezing rain began arriving the night of Thursday, December 22. NBC Right Now said the National Weather Service first reported it along the I-5 corridor from Olympia south around 8 p.m. The Washington State Climatologist describes the December 23 event as freezing rain over surface air in the mid to upper 20s, falling on bare ground or thin packed snow and producing what it called sheets of ice. It says roads became impassable, SeaTac runways closed for hours and power outages followed.
A December 23 report on NBC Right Now said that as of 7:45 a.m. Friday, Puget Sound Energy had 7,272 customers without power across its service area, almost 3,000 of them in North Bend, and Snohomish County PUD had 5,708 customers out, with the largest outages along U.S. 2 past Monroe and between Marysville and Lake Stevens. Community Transit canceled bus service that morning. Those are regional totals, not figures for the four counties alone.
What plumbers reported
The Skagit Valley Herald described the week before Christmas as the season's first serious cold. Alex Gravley, owner of Foss Heating and Cooling in Mount Vernon, said call volume roughly doubled. Sarah Eckenrode of CPI Plumbing and Heating said frozen pipes were the most common call. Brian Ronk of Ronk Brothers Heating and Cooling in Sedro-Woolley said about half of the calls on the coldest days were for frozen furnace condensate lines. The paper noted that some pipes froze even with faucets dripping overnight, and gave no count of pipe breaks.
A Whatcom County report published December 27 said Barron Heating, Air Conditioning, Electrical and Plumbing took more than 80 calls for frozen or burst pipes in one week, according to its plumbing superintendent, and that on-call plumbers worked nearly all weekend. It noted that water can be shut off to all or much of a building even when a pipe has not burst. The page did not name its publisher.
The sources reviewed did not include a utility notice about water main breaks in the four counties during this event, nor pipe break counts for Snohomish or Island counties.
What homeowners can take from it
The guidance from local and regional agencies is consistent. The City of Everett's brochure advises insulating outdoor and indoor pipes in cold spaces such as attics, crawl spaces and garages, sealing gaps where pipes enter the building, and finding and testing the main shutoff. Portland Water Bureau adds leaving cabinet doors open so pipes stay warmer, letting indoor faucets drip, and covering outdoor faucets. Dripping is not a guarantee. The Skagit Valley Herald noted that some pipes froze even with faucets dripping overnight, and it advised letting faucets run more than a drip.
Thawing advice differs. The Skagit Valley Herald article says to thaw accessible pipes with a hair dryer or hot water. Portland Water Bureau also mentions a hair dryer or heat lamp used safely. Everett's brochure says not to thaw pipes with electrical appliances unless a professional advises it, citing shock risk, and to call a plumber for the right procedure. Never use an open flame.
Watch the thaw. Portland Water Bureau warns that frozen pipes are more likely to leak or burst as they thaw. If you find a burst, close the main shutoff valve immediately.
When to call Pyper Plumbing
Call Pyper Plumbing if a pipe has frozen, if water has stopped at one or more fixtures during a cold snap, or if a pipe has split and water is escaping. Pyper provides frozen pipe repair, emergency plumbing, leak detection and repair, and repiping in Snohomish, Skagit, Whatcom and Island counties.
Close the main shutoff first if water is flowing. Furnace condensate lines, heat pumps and gas appliances are not plumbing work that Pyper does, so call an HVAC contractor or the gas utility for those. If you smell gas, leave the house and call 911.
Common questions
When did the December 2022 arctic blast hit Northwest Washington?
The Washington State Climatologist dates the cold snap from December 19 to 24, 2022. Snow fell around December 19 and 20, Bellingham readings of 14 and 13 degrees were reported on December 21, and freezing rain followed on December 22 and 23 before warmer rain on December 24.
How cold did it get in Bellingham?
A local report put Bellingham International Airport at 14 degrees with a wind chill of minus 3 at 5 a.m. on December 21, and 13 degrees with a wind chill of minus 7 before noon. Ferndale was at 11 degrees.
Did pipes burst in Skagit and Whatcom counties?
Local plumbers reported heavy call volume. A Mount Vernon heating company said calls roughly doubled, and a Whatcom plumbing company reported more than 80 frozen or burst pipe calls in a week. No county-wide count was found.
What is the main lesson for homeowners?
Protect pipes before the cold arrives, know where your main shutoff is, and watch for leaks as pipes thaw. Everett and Portland recommend insulation, sealing gaps, opening cabinet doors and letting faucets drip.
Sources
Facts in this guide come from the following references. Local rules and manufacturer instructions can differ, so follow your utility and your equipment manual.
- January 2023 Report and Outlook (Office of the Washington State Climatologist)
- 10 degrees in Everett? More snow, freezing cold to come (The Herald, Everett)
- Yes, we're 'doing this again.' Whatcom wakes up to snow and freezing fog (Bellingham Herald, via AOL)
- Wind chill drops Whatcom into minus territory as roads remain slippery (local news report via AOL)
- Snow blankets island before Christmas (South Whidbey Record)
- Thousands without power, bus services canceled as freezing rain falls across western Washington (NBC Right Now)
- Skagit County heating and plumbing companies stayed busy during cold snap (Skagit Valley Herald)
- Whatcom's pre-Christmas storm keeping plumbers and tree removal services busy (via AOL)
- Preventing frozen pipes brochure (City of Everett)
- What to do if water pipes freeze, leak or burst as temperatures rise (Portland Water Bureau)
This guide is general information, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. If you smell natural gas, leave the building and call 911 or your gas utility. Pyper does not perform gas line work.
