Sequim, WA

Sequim and Port Angeles seem to be escaping some of the nasty winter blizzards in Western Washington, in large part because of the rain shadow that shields our area.

The National Weather Service reports:

A blizzard warning will shortly replace the current winter storm watch for the Western Strait (from about Joyce westerly) and the North Coast in Clallam County, including Forks, LaPush, Neah Bay, Clallam Bay, and Sekiu. Blizzard conditions are expected to start Saturday afternoon and continue through the evening, moderating by Sunday morning. The NWS defines a blizzard as large quantity and/or a blowing snow with winds of 35 mph or stronger, and visibility of 1/4 mile or less for more than three hours. For Western Clallam County the NWS expects 6 - 12" of snow accumulation, and winds of 35 - 45 mph and gusts to 60 mph. This is a potentially dangerous situation for the West part of the County and citizens are advised to prepare now.

For the east end of the County, lowland areas are expected to see new snow accumulations of 1 - 3" and winds of about 20 mph. The NWS is not however declaring a storm warning for the Eastern part of the County. The shadowing effect of the Olympics is expected to make Port Angeles and Sequim one of the least impacted areas from this storm, however, I would emphasize that these forecasts are subject to change. Residents are advised to watch weather forecasts for updates. Furthermore, even in Eastern Clallam County, those living at higher elevations may experience considerably greater snowfall.

In the Olympic Mountains, snowfall is expected to be extremely high (2 - 3 feet.) Also for the Olympics the NWS has issued an Avalanche Warning. Earlier "weak" snow is going to be covered with a large accumulation of new "strong" snow, creating extremely hazardous avalanche conditions. The possibility of triggering an avalanche by mountain travel, particularly on side hills is significant. Accordingly, winter activities in the higher elevations of the Olympics should proceed only with great caution.

Read updated National Weather Service reports for Sequim. Read updated National Weather Service reports for Port Angeles. Finally, you can compare the weather in Sequim and Port Angeles LIVE right here.

Plan your trip Local Radar Detailed Forecast

Plan your trip Local Radar Detailed Forecast

Bookmark this article so you can come back periodically and see the weather comparison yourself. Courtesy of Chuck Marunde and Sequim & Port Angeles Real Estate, LLC.

November was the slowest sales month Sequim has experienced since 2002 when we started tracking that info. 3 parcels of land sold in the Sequim area with 575 parcels for sale; and 20 residences on owned land sold in Sequim, with 480 active residential listings. Of the 13 site built Single Family Residences that sold in Sequim in Nov, (one was our listing, and we have another listing under contract) 6 of them were foreclosures. I'm certain much of the downturn can be contributed to the decrease in the stock market, and with the market fluctuating so much and real estate prices dropping, in December we are now seeing a little bit of an increase in activity with more Buyers looking. With the drop in interest rates, I believe we will see more properties going under contract. The homes that are offered with "compelling prices" appear to be the ones that are moving, so as ever, it is extremely important to have the right price when coming into this Buyer's Market. Sequim has always been considered a very desirable place to live and is a "retirement destination", and I believe we will see more people arriving here as soon as they can sell their homes elsewhere.

What does the Sequim real estate market look like and how does it compare to previous years? Here is a graphic covering the past five years showing the total number of homes sold and the median sales prices. I've weighted the data to get more accurate results by eliminating very low and very high priced homes. The price range of $150,000 to $400,000 includes 94% of homes sold in Port Angeles recently. The very small number of high priced homes sold to millionaires would unfairly skew the data. Not showing on this chart, but interesting, is that in November of 2008, only 10 hours sold in Sequim and 15 in Sequim in this price range. All homes included in this data are site-built only. Click on this image to enlarge it.

What does it really cost per square foot to build a home in Sequim? Watch this video.

It was a challenging day at work, and I was looking forward to a nice jog in Robin Hill Park in Sequim. So I opened up the sliding glass door to my deck and walked across the back yard where I opened the gate to the winding serene trails of Robin Hill Park.

I took the 2.4 mile loop, which gently meanders through the trees and across meadows, falls into a sweet little gulley and works its way up and around to my back yard again. I didn't see anyone. I rarely do, although I know others are out there walking, jogging, riding their bikes, and some are riding horses on the trails designated for that purpose.

The sun was already low in the sky as evening approached, and the beams of bright light were streaking through the pine trees, which were emitting the fresh scent of pine needles and all things green and woodsy.

The 195 acre park is maintained by Clallam County and is almost hidden from public view. The Olympic Discovery Trail runs alongside the park stretching for many miles in either direction. There is no limit to how far I can walk, jog, or ride my bike, except my own physical endurance.

Hmm. No wonder I love living in Sequim.