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First day of winter, shortest day of the year
Dec. 21 marks the first day of winter and the shortest day of the year.
Cool rain showers will hit the area starting Tuesday evening, with temps in the 40s the next few days. Chilly temperatures and a chance for snow hits Christmas weekend.
Wednesday looks like the wettest day of the work week with on and off showers all day. It may be a breezy at times as well. Rain showers continue Thursday and Friday, but both days look more dry than wet.
I've been receiving several emails wondering if we are going to have a "White Christmas" later this week. Those are pretty rare here in Seattle. We've only had three Christmases in the past 134 years with more than an inch of snow.
The forecast will likely change as we get closer to the weekend, but here is how things are looking right now:
- Christmas Eve - looks showery, but too warm for any wintry precipitation in the lowest elevations.
- Christmas Day - Cooler air pushes in on Saturday (Christmas Day), but as of right now I don’t expect widespread snow that day. Instead, I’m forecasting a rain/snow mix with some areas catching some accumulation on the grass for most of the central and south sound. Whatcom County and the higher elevations have the chance of measurable impactful snow on Christmas.
- Sunday and Monday - Looks MUCH cooler these days with high temps only around freezing. I’m forecasting some snow showers for both of those days, with Sunday looking like the best opportunity for snow accumulation as of right now. This could change.
- Tuesday and Beyond - Even if we don’t get snow next week, temps will be the coldest of the season so far. Some models are sending our overnight lows into the teens by midweek. We’ll see.
Best case scenario…
We get a dusting of snow early next week. Maybe a few flurries and temps stay cold, but we avoid a deep freeze.
Worst case scenario…
A surge of arctic air pushes into the Northwest bringing overnight lows into the teens and daytime highs into the 20s. That’s what we call a "deep freeze." At least one snowstorm hits early in the week and the city locks down for a few days until we thaw out after the New Year.
The bottom line is, make sure to check back with us regularly this week. Travel over the passes will be difficult over the next several days and we could be in for some winter weather in the lowland early next week. Here's your 7 day forecast.
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