Blizzard Warning for the mountains, strong wind in the lowlands Tuesday

Seattle - Monday will bring wet and gray conditions to Western Washington, but a much stronger system will hit Tuesday bringing wind, rain, and significant mountain snow.

High temperatures will slowly rise this afternoon and evening. We likely won't hit our high temperature of 49 degrees until just before midnight.

For the first time in 11 years, a Blizzard Warning has been issued in the Cascades and Olympics Tuesday into Wednesday morning. The strongest wind (gusts up to 60 mph) will hit during the daylight hours Tuesday. 2-3 feet of snow is expected now through Wednesday evening at all passes above 2,000 feet. Areas around Mt. Baker (and other high elevations) could see up to 4 feet of snow. Travel will be difficult to impossible during this time. I would expect WSDOT to close some of the major highways during this storm due to low visibility, though the agency has said they are going to do "everything they can to keep the roads open."

There will be a brief period overnight where snow levels will quickly rise to above pass levels. This will bring a switch to a rain and snow mix in the early morning hours. It will then switch back to snow early Tuesday morning as the strong wind also arrives.

Snow totals will be very impressive through Wednesday night, with two to four feet expected in the Cascades.

A Wind Advisory is in effect for the Puget Sound lowlands Tuesday and a High Wind Warning is in effect for the Coast and parts of Island and San Juan counties. The strongest wind gusts for most will be hitting during the daylight hours, especially midday. Gusts for most of the Puget Sound area could reach 50-55 mph. Gusts in the High Wind Warning areas could reach 60-65 mph.

The next round of King Tides along with the approaching storm will bring an increased risk of coastal flooding. This Coastal Flood Watch also includes the San Juans and Admiralty Inlet areas for a potential of two to three feet of coastal flood inundation.

Large waves will also be an issue on the coast from Tuesday to Wednesday morning. Breaking waves could be as high as 13 to 29 feet.

It's a massive day for Husky Football as the Dawgs take on Michigan in the College Football Playoff Championship Game in Houston. Today's weather will be stormy in the greater Houston area with a slight chance of severe thunderstorms.

Temperatures will plummet later this week as a cold air mass plunges south into the area. We are not expecting a lot of lowland snow right now, but the best shot at an inch or more in Seattle will be Thursday through Saturday. Areas with the best shot at lowland snow during that time will be north of Seattle.