Arctic blast hits Western Washington next week

Highs in the upper 40s today will feel warm in comparison to lows in the mid 20s next week! Buckle up for a roller coaster of temperatures. 

Today and tomorrow will be rather similar weather-wise. Highs will reach the upper 40s under overcast skies with pockets of lowland rain and mountain snow. Tomorrow will be breezy. 

Monday (Presidents Day) will be wetter and windier. Snow could become heavy over the passes and higher elevations. Seattle could see highs boosting to 50 degrees ahead of a cold front marching through Western Washington that evening.

Tuesday stays damp and windy. Mountain snow will be ongoing. By late Tuesday, northerly/northeasterly winds at the surface will start blowing in the North Sound over Whatcom County. A blast of "modified Arctic air" (definition: air that originates in the Arctic but warms slightly as it moves south) will gush through the Fraser River Valley, leading to plunging temperatures through Friday.

The combination of gusty conditions and frigid temps will lead to brutal wind chills at times in the North Sound later this week. Cold temperatures across Western Washington could be dangerous for those without access to adequate heating. 

There's a slight chance that lowland flurries could start flying on Wednesday; however, this looks like a fairly minor event overall. Right now, it doesn't seem like there will be much if any impacts or accumulations in the lower elevations. Stay with us because the timing and details of this weather event could change as the day draws nearer. 

Thursday and Friday may offer a drier trend, but if any precipitation fires up, it would likely fall in the form of snow. Stay tuned – we've got you covered this week. 

Have a wonderful weekend!

Warmly, 

Meteorologist Abby Acone
Follow me on Twitter @abbyacone, Instagram @abbyaconewx, TikTok @abbyaconetv and Facebook (Meteorologist Abby Acone)