SEATTLE - For most, Thursday morning was no big deal, snow changing to rain with little hassle for anyone as a winter storm gave way to the old familiar drip, drip, drip across Western Washington.

While there were still reports of icy conditions on some side roads, most of the major arterials were back to wet surfaces thanks to the rain and warmer temperatures.

KING5 meteorologist Rich Marriott says the area may still see some wet snow mixed in the rain during heavier showers and in Whatcom County during the day, but there shouldn't be any accumulation.

"We're looking for things to gradually continue to warm up," says Rich. "Temperatures this time yesterday were in the teens and 20's, today in the 30's and low 40's in most spots, though they're still holding on to that cold air near the Canadian border."

The weather will turn sunnier and slightly warmer as we head into the weekend, adds Rich.

While the snow has stopped falling, up north in Whatcom County where the temperatures remain frigid, icy and slushy road conditions could linger for a couple more days, especially on the secondary roads, overpasses and bridges. On State Route 542, also known as Mount Baker Highway, chains are still required except for all-wheel drive vehicles.

Thousands still without power

Power is still out for thousands of people in the northwest part of Washington state, and many stuck in the cold for several days are out of patience.

Snohomish County PUD was hit hardest by the storm. As of Thursday evening, about 4,000 PUD customers through north Snohomish County, Stanwood, Camano, Darrington and surrounding areas were still without power, down from 11,000 Monday and Tuesday. Utility crews say the snow conditions and damage are so bad, it could take another day or two before power is restored to all customers.

Puget Sound Energy reported it had managed to restore power to all of its customers.

San Juan declared a State of Emergency Thursday due to storm damage. Many areas still have several inches of snow, there are hundreds of trees down, and residents are still without power. Orcas Island had the biggest impact.

Rain a 'welcome change'

Just as the Wednesday evening commute ended, wet snow began to fall in the Seattle area. Most of the accumulation of snow happened before midnight. After that, precipitation turned mostly into rain and tapered off as the front moved through the area.

"I think it's safe to say that for once the rain will be a welcome change," Seattle police Officer Jeffery R. Kappel told The Seattle Times.

Taking no chances, many state Transportation Department crews were sent to work 12-hour shifts Wednesday laying down sand and deicer before the arrival of the region's principal snow removal system -- rain.

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Roads in Bellingham still had layers of compact snow and ice, making it a slippery drive for motorists.

By 9:30 p.m. Wednesday precipitation had broken the one-month record for Seattle, 15.33 inches set in December 1933, when the official reporting station was at the old downtown Federal Building.

By about 10 p.m., the November precipitation total at the current station, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, stood at 15.45 inches, National Weather Service meteorologist Doug McDonnal said.

With warmer temperatures expected to follow the storm, the Weather Service also issued a flood watch for the combined effects of rain and melting snow in Whatcom County, just south of the Canadian border.

Cold temperatures

On Wednesday night, the weather service reported a record low of 18 degrees at the airport, breaking the old mark for Nov. 29 of 22 degrees set in 1985.

Other record lows included 12 degrees at Bellingham, near the Canadian border; 25 degrees in Hoquiam near the coast, and 2 degrees below zero at Pullman in the southeast corner of the state.

Across the region the mercury rose from the 20s and upper teens at daybreak Wednesday to around the freezing point by 6 p.m. and over freezing early Thursday. As of 2 a.m. light rain was falling over most of the state west of the Cascade range and temperatures were ranged from the mid-30s inland to the 40s by the coast.

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Seattle's streets turned messy again Wednesday night.

The worst remaining trouble spot was the northwest corner of the state, where 3 to 6 inches of snow was expected before the precipitation stopped or changed to rain.

With the exception of Western Washington University, schools were closed Thursday for a third straight day in Bellingham and elsewhere in Whatcom County but were reopening in most other areas after snow holidays for hundreds of thousands of students. In Seattle and many other schools, classes were starting 2 hours late.

"They're driving me crazy," Joanie Griffin, whose three teenage sons attend schools in the Central Kitsap School District near Bremerton, told The Times. "They're complaining about how bored they are. ... They need to go back to school."