Seattle weather: Rain, breezy winds return midweek

SEATTLE - Monday and Tuesday look relatively quiet for early November, but wet weather is right around the corner.

Good news for Seahawks fans heading to Lumen Field tonight! Seattle and the central Puget Sound region should remain mostly dry tonight with mostly cloudy skies. If you're heading downtown, bring a warm jacket, as temps will cool into the 40s.

Dry start to the week, rain returns Wednesday

Local perspective:

A weak system moving through tonight will quickly move away, allowing conditions to stay dry again Tuesday. Clouds will linger with highs close to 60 degrees.

Our weather pattern becomes more active Wednesday evening as the first in a series of systems moves across western Washington. Rain will become more widespread after sunset, although the heaviest precipitation will likely focus on the Olympic Peninsula and North Cascades. The Pacific Coast could pick up around a quarter to half an inch of rain.

Many areas across the East Puget Sound lowlands will be partially rain-shadowed, meaning rainfall amounts could be light. Some communities may only see a few hundredths of an inch.

By the numbers:

In the mountains, snow levels will hover around 5,500 feet, bringing a few inches of fresh snow to the higher elevations of the Olympics and North Cascades.

Winds will also pick up as the system approaches. The strongest winds are expected along the coast, where gusts of 25 to 35 mph are possible. Across the interior, expect winds of 10 to 20 mph, with some gusts reaching 25 to 30 mph. Winds should ease again Wednesday night into Thursday.

Stronger system arrives at the end of the week

What's next:

We'll see precipitation gradually taper off Thursday, but a stronger weather system is expected to move into western Washington Thursday night and Friday, bringing another round of rain, mountain snow, and gusty winds.

Once again, the Olympic Peninsula and North Cascades look to receive the most precipitation. The North Coast could pick up between a half-inch and an inch of rain, while many Puget Sound lowland locations may see considerably less. Snow levels will drop to around 4,500 to 5,000 feet, bringing additional snowfall to the higher elevations.

System bringing very gusty winds to western WA

Big picture view:

Forecast models are showing an increasing potential for stronger gusts, especially along the coast and across parts of northern western Washington. Winds could gust to over 40 mph along the coast and the usual North Puget Sound areas.

Along the coast, increasing surf could also create hazardous beach conditions and localized beach erosion. If you're planning a trip to the coast, watch out for changing surf conditions and stay well back from the water.

Timeline:

Saturday is looking mainly dry and mostly cloudy with a chance of showers returning on Sunday.

We'll continue to fine-tune the weekend forecast as we get closer.

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