SEATTLE -- The ice and snow have left the area critically short of blood supplies. It takes 900 donors a day to keep supplies up.

The Puget Sound Blood Center needs type O blood, and has just a one day supply of B blood left

Inclement weather has kept donors from grocery shopping, let alone donating blood. Monday's break from the winter wallop comes just in time for the Puget Sound Blood Center, which supplies all of Western Washington.

Courtney Boulton, a University of Washington medical student, heard the plea and was first in line.

"People die if you don't get that stuff to them. It's not a big burden on me, and it's helpful," she said.

Just how helpful? Blood supply is down 20 percent.

"We've lost over 1,700 donations in the last two weeks," said Michael Young of the Puget Sound Blood Center.

Our nasty weather also kept volunteers away. Twenty seven blood-mobile drives were canceled due to icy roads.

If the center doesn't get more donors, it will have to import blood from other states.

"The time that it takes for that blood to get here could mean the difference between life and death for a patient," said Young.

For James O'Neal, donated blood was a matter of life or death.

He set a record for blood loss at the UW in November when doctors undertook a risky surgery to remove a tumor that had deformed his face.

During the operation, he lost blood faster than doctors could replace it. O'Neal's body holds eight units of blood. He went through 26 units during his surgery. The Puget Sound Blood Center made his life changing surgery possible.

"It's a great feeling," said Young.

The Puget Sound Blood Center has extended its hours and opened additional centers across the region, from Everett to Olympia. For additional information, click here.