Does It Snow in Bonney Lake?

A typical plateau snowfall leaves a light coat on the roofs and firs and slush in the tire tracks by the time the first cars head for 410. By afternoon the street is often wet and gray again. It’s brief, and it can still rearrange a household’s morning.

Why the plateau can look different from the valley

Bonney Lake sits up on a plateau, well above the valley floor where Sumner and Puyallup are. During cold storms around Puget Sound, the line between rain and snow can sit only a little above the valley floors, so a modest climb can make a real difference. It’s common enough to leave Sumner in cold rain and find wet snow sticking at the top of the hill.

Read forecasts with that in mind. When one calls for snow in the foothills or on the hills above the valley floors, pay attention, because the plateau and the country east toward Buckley can end up on that side of the line while Seattle and the valley stay wet.

People moving here from colder states are sometimes surprised in the other direction. The snow here is usually heavy and wet, and it can turn to ice overnight. The region doesn’t get enough of it to plan everything around it the way a snow-belt town does, so a few inches can close schools and empty the roads. People moving from Seattle are surprised there’s any at all.

The SR 410 hill and the other roads that get slick

The hill on SR 410 between Sumner and Bonney Lake is the pinch point. It’s the main road off the plateau, and the city’s snow and ice plan puts SR 410 at the top of its list. Even so, on an icy morning one car sideways on the grade can slow everything behind it. If your job starts at a fixed hour, have a plan for the days the hill is bad, whether that means leaving earlier or working from home.

Around Lake Tapps, West Tapps Highway and the Sumner-Tapps Highway give some neighborhoods another way down. They have curves and grades of their own and can be slick too.

Closer to home, who clears your street depends on where it is:

• Inside city limits, the City of Bonney Lake’s public works crews handle city streets, and like most cities they work the main arterials and hills before quiet side streets and cul-de-sacs.
• In unincorporated areas, including much of Lake Tapps and Tehaleh, Pierce County maintains the public roads.
• Private roads and some HOA streets are the association’s responsibility, which can mean a contracted plow or nothing at all. Ask.

The last stretch is your own driveway. A steep driveway that faces north can hold ice long after the street has cleared. Communities with a single main route in and out deserve a winter drive before you buy, which is one reason I cover the roads in and out of Tehaleh in my Tehaleh article.

Families should also plan for school schedule changes. The Sumner-Bonney Lake School District, like others around the region, uses late starts and closures on bad mornings, and they tend to come with short notice. Line up a backup for childcare before the first cold snap.

Wind storms, tall firs, and power outages

Snow gets the attention, but in wooded neighborhoods wind is often the winter weather that causes the longer disruptions.

Bonney Lake is full of tall Douglas firs, many of them left standing when neighborhoods were built around them. Soaked winter soil loosens their grip, and a strong wind storm can bring down trees and the power lines beneath them. Heavy wet snow does the same thing more quietly, loading branches until they give.

Outages in wooded neighborhoods can last a while, and restoration order depends on the damage. A few habits make it easier.

Find out which electric utility serves the house (the seller can tell you) and sign up for its outage alerts. Know how you’ll stay warm without power. If you want a generator, have a licensed electrician install a proper transfer switch or interlock, which keeps power from feeding back into the lines where crews are working. Run a portable generator outdoors, well away from windows, and never in the garage.

For big trees near the house, an arborist can tell you which ones are healthy and which deserve work. Before removing a large tree, check with the city or the county and your HOA, since tree removal can require permission.

What to check on a house for winter

These are the items I look at when a buyer and I walk a house on the plateau between fall and spring. A general home inspector will cover many of them, and some call for a specialist.

• Driveway grade and direction. Steep and north-facing means ice that lingers. A flat or south-facing driveway is easier.
• Trees within reach of the roof. Note any large firs close enough to hit the house, and get an arborist’s opinion on the ones that worry you.
• Heat source and backup. Know whether the house heats with a heat pump or a gas furnace, and ask whether the fireplace or insert can run without electricity.
• Generator readiness. Look for an existing transfer switch or interlock and ask whether it was permitted.
• Gutters, downspouts and drainage. Winter rain on plateau lots needs a clear path away from the foundation. Standing water near the house is worth asking about.
• Crawlspace and pipes. Check for moisture, insulation on exposed pipes and covers for the outside hose bibs.
• Roof and moss. Moss holds water on a roof through the wet months. Ask when the roof was last cleaned and how old it is.

The living here page has more on the plateau’s roads and neighborhoods through the rest of the year.

Buying or selling between November and February

Winter is a good time to learn the truth about a house. You see how the lot drains in real rain and how dark the rooms get at four in the afternoon. A summer showing hides most of that.

Holiday office closures and weather can push back an inspection or a moving truck. Build cushion into your dates, and settle with your lender and the other side what happens if a storm slows things down.

For sellers, a winter listing is mostly about light and access. Keep the walks and steps clear, have ice melt ready for showings, leave the lights on, and schedule photos for the brightest day you can get. Summer photos of the yard or the lake, if you have them, can help buyers picture the rest of the year. The selling page covers preparation in more detail, and if you’re moving within the plateau, the sell first or buy first question matters more in winter, when a move can slip a few days on weather alone.