Foggy, sunny and dry weather ahead; flood watch issued Thursday afternoon for King County
It may be damp today, but a long stretch of dry and sunny weather starts Friday. Hope you make some plans to get outside this week!
Highs today are rather warm by winter standards; temps will max out in the low to mid 50s this afternoon! This is due to a warm front that swept through Western Washington. That same front triggered widespread, soaking rain this morning. Drive carefully! Roads are slick. Grab a rain jacket if you're stepping outside this morning. It'll be breezy today, too. In fact, the Eastern Strait, the San Juans, Whidbey and Camano Islands could have gusts reaching 30-40 mph. For most other places, gusts to 20-30 mph look likely.
Fewer showers are in the forecast this afternoon. Here's a snapshot of what to expect at 3 p.m. Many backyards will dry out by then, and a few sunbreaks are even possible! However, some will continue to see heavy rain due to a convergence zone.
This convergence zone is most likely to happen in King and Snohomish Counties -- though Skagit and Whatcom Counties could also see rain from this zone, too. Because strong downpours are likely today, the National Weather Service has hoisted a Flood Watch for King County, starting this afternoon at one and continuing through tonight. Minor flooding is possible for creeks, rivers and streams.
Already, the National Weather Service has issued a Flood Warning for the Tolt river above Carnation. Minor flooding is imminent. This warning lasts through Friday morning. NWS also says that the Snoqualmie river may have minor flooding. Stay tuned for updates!
Later today, a cold front will march through the area - dropping snow levels down to the passes. Take a look at this screenshot of futurecast at 6 p.m. Snow could fall pretty heavily over the passes tonight. I'm concerned that visibility could be a problem for drivers. Travelers need to be prepared for rapidly-worsening conditions. Anywhere from two to six inches of snow are possible this evening, and while that doesn't sound like a lot -- because the snow will be falling fast, travel could be treacherous.
Morning fog is on tap Friday. You can expect high-level clouds (aka: filtered sunshine) tomorrow afternoon. Weather will be fantastic for getting outdoors for a run, walk or bike ride!
That trend of morning fog and afternoon sunshine continues Saturday -- possibly lasting at least through Wednesday! At times, fog in the morning could be freezing -- giving way to black ice, especially on bridges and overpasses. Air quality may become an issue this week, too -- simply because our weather pattern will be so stagnant.
Enjoy the beautiful weather this week. Don't hesitate to share your weather photos and videos with the FOX 13 weather team. We appreciate your viewership so much!
Warmly,
Meteorologist Abby Acone
Follow me on Twitter @abbyacone, Instagram @abbyaconewx and Facebook (Meteorologist Abby Acone)
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