LEAVENWORTH, Wash. — Brittany Clark-Hargraves and Cory Hargraves were on a romantic getaway to the famous Christmas town of Leavenworth when a snowstorm and a record-breaking amount of snowfall extended their trip this past weekend.
The couple said they planned to stay in Leavenworth for three nights and arrived Thursday. The couple said they planned to get across the pass as they had done so many times before. But then they heard the locals chattering about the storm and how it was going to be a “big one.”
"So we kind of thought, 'Oh no, what did we get ourselves into,'" said Brittany.
“You should worry when the locals start to get worried, and we were like, ‘Ruh roh,’” said Cory.
Leavenworth received 36 inches of snow in less than 24 hours Thursday, and some microclimates received up to 48 inches of snow, according to the city.
The mayor of Leavenworth declared an emergency Friday after the city said the record snowfall caused concern for life safety and structural stability.
Brittany took to TikTok to share the incredible experience in a before and after video showing off the snowfall. The couple’s truck can be seen in the video completely buried in snow.
The couple said the attention on TikTok has been fun and not what they expected.
“We're not TikTokers, and so we were bored because we were stuck and just decided to tell a little story,” said Brittany. “It just blew up.”
The couple made it home safely to Olympia Sunday night after conditions improved and the passes opened.
The couple said although they were snowed in, they still had a good time thanks to the town’s residents.
“I think everybody there was just embracing the moment of being stuck in a winter wonderland, and it was fun,” said Brittany.
“It was one for the books,” added Cory.