EVERETT — Snohomish County food banks are preparing for an influx of customers amid uncertainty for food assistance programs at the busiest time of the year for the nonprofit organizations.

Food banks across Snohomish County were already reeling from cuts to federal funding and increased demand from residents needing assistance. But funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, was set to lapse Saturday unless Congress passed a spending bill ending the government shutdown, or if the government tapped into emergency funds. SNAP — formerly known as food stamps — distributes benefits to about 42 million low-income Americans nationwide to buy nutritious food.

On Friday, a federal judge ruled that the government must allocate emergency funding as soon as possible

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