Late March Flurries Dust South Whidbey Rooftops and Trees in White

Two days before the calendar turned toward spring, South Whidbey Island got one last reminder that winter wasn't quite finished.

Clinton resident David Welton stepped outside Monday to photograph a brief but picturesque snowfall that left trees, bushes, and rooftops across South Whidbey dusted in white. The flurries fell on March 17, roughly a week before the official first day of spring, giving the island an unexpected seasonal farewell.

Welton's images capture the quiet beauty of a late-season snow: branches laced with white, shrubs softened under a thin layer of frost, and rooflines tracing clean lines against a winter-gray sky. The accumulation was light, more dusting than storm, but enough to transform familiar South Whidbey landscapes into something briefly unrecognizable.

Late-season snowfall on Whidbey Island is not unheard of, but it remains uncommon enough to stop residents in their tracks. South Whidbey's marine climate, shaped by its position in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains, typically moderates winter temperatures and keeps heavy snow at bay. A March flurry that actually sticks to the trees earns a second look.

Spring arrives officially on March 20 this year, making Welton's photographs a small document of the island caught between seasons.