Schools didn’t open and the U.S. Navy expected to start two hours late today, but Katie Mairs was at her post in the Bremerton Safeway Starbucks and open at 5:50 a.m. serving coffee to the few who came in.
“I Feel kind of like the mailman,” Mairs said.
Commuting to Bremerton from Poulsbo, Mairs beat what morning commute there was between 5 and 6 a.m., just a few hours after snow began to fall.
Several cars lined the ditches on either side of the highway and spinouts occurred near every hill in the community. At 7:30 a.m. Kitsap Way and Callow Avenue were more passable than State Highway 3.
One morning commuter braved the mess on a Harley Davidson motorcycle, pushing and spinning his way along Auto Center Boulevard.
The National Weather Service this morning revised their forecast for Central Kitsap and Bremerton, calling for 2 to 4 inches – less than half the amount previously expected.
Along with Bremerton schools, Central Kitsap Schools District is closed. Their website said, weather and road conditions throughout the county are poor and are not expected to improve. In addition, all after school and evening activities and events are canceled.
All YMCA’s in Pierce and Kitsap Counties are operating on modified schedules today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. All youth and adult programs and classes are cancelled, according to Michelle LaRue, communications director.
The Kitsap County courthouse and county administration office are closed for the day. According to it’s website, the county will reaccess the situation Thursday morning at 6 a.m.
The Puget Sound Naval Shipyard has “curtailed” operations at all three county sites for non-essential personnel for the day.
Kitsap Transit said that as a result of PSNS’ snow response worker-driver buses would not operate. The start of Annapolis/Bremerton Foot Ferry service was delayed until 8 a.m., at which time the boat was expected to operate a normal set of morning runs. Port Orchard and Bremerton Foot Ferry service is operating normally.
Bremerton city employees that are considered non-essential have the choice to work or stay home. If they choose to stay home, employees will have to use a vacation day or go unpaid, said Roger Lubovich, Bremerton city attorney.
National Weather Service meteorologist Danny Mercer said that varied amounts have fallen with the most severely hit being Thurston and Mason Counties, which saw 12 to 16 inches fall.
With about four inches down by 8 a.m., Mercer said that Bremerton and Silverdale could expect 2 to 3 inches more snowfall before the storm tappers off in the early afternoon. Little melting is expected today as temperature should stay in the mid to upper 20s due to a continued north wind, Mercer said.
Friday will turn the storm into a event similar to the 1996 storm, according to Mercer. Central Kitsap could see rain on Friday that would bring low-level and river flooding.”
Bremerton Fire Chief Al Duke said that 40 roofs collapsed from a combination of snow, ice and rain stopped up gutters and drainage systems and over weighting the roofs.
