Approximately two feet of snow blanketed the islands Dec. 20, causing many people to slow down and stay home. Those that drove, found compact snow and ice treacherous, with car after car sliding into ditches. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a wind chill advisory of zero lasting through the evening of Thursday, Dec. 22. Even the Salish Sea froze along the shoreline.

“Islanders are strongly encouraged to check in on each other, make sure neighbors are okay, and reach out to anyone who might be vulnerable,” San Juan County Department of Emergency Management Brendan Cowan reminded the community in an email, adding that islanders should contact 911 for emergencies of any kind, including related to temperatures and the outage. “Please do not contact 911 to check on the status of the outage or for other non-emergencies. Dispatchers have their hands full,” he wrote.

The storm politely arrived within the San Juan Island School District’s scheduled winter break, allowing children to enjoy the snow and giving the town a picturesque holiday look.

Islanders are no strangers to storms. One of the worst blizzards occurred on Friday, January 13, 1950. According to old Journal articles, it was a storm that continued for months. Hurricane-force winds were recorded in several areas of the region and the snow kept falling. Friday Harbor recorded an official low of eight degrees on that day, although some interior locations on the island reported lows of zero degrees. A rare combination of arctic winds roaring down the Fraser River Valley, through British Columbia and down into the U.S. where it collided with a separate wet storm blowing off the Pacific Ocean and the Strait of Juan de Fuca created what is often referred to as a perfect storm.

In the Jan. 19 edition that year, the Journal reported the blizzard caused extensive damage on San Juan Island. A minimum of nine small boats sank in Friday Harbor. Power and telephone lines were downed by falling trees. Almost everyone experienced frozen pipes.

Homeowners experienced frozen water pipes so extreme they forced bathroom fixtures from the walls. According to an article by the San Juan Historical Museum and Society published in the San Juan Update, it is to this day one of the worst blizzards to strike San Juan Island in recorded history. Still, the ferries still ran, according to that article, although not on schedule. Mail continued to be delivered by boats and planes, and lineworkers braved the elements to restore power to homes and businesses.

However, the snow continued to fall. A warm front previously predicted for Jan. 29 did not arrive. The San Juans did thaw enough for island schools to open on Monday, Jan. 30.

On Feb. 2, the Journal wrote “The children, as well as the adults, are tired of the winter and many of the students expressed the desire to return to their school work.” Snow continued through most of that month. The islands would not completely thaw until spring that year.

For detailed information on winter weather preparedness, including dealing with frozen pipes, icy roads, and other issues, please visit https://www.islandsready.org/new-page-1.

Kelley Balcomb-Bartok \ Staff photo Midday sun lights upon a snowy scene at the cemetery on San Juan island.

Kelley Balcomb-Bartok \ Staff photo Snow clings to the branches during a snowy cold snap on San Juan island.

Kelley Balcomb-Bartok \ Staff photo Clear skies brought out Mount Baker.

Kelley Balcomb-Bartok \ Staff photo Blowing snow made for beautiful scenes and treacherous roads across the county.