Winter weather hits Western WA hard this week

Name: Seattle weather: Cool showers much of the day on Tuesday
Uploaded: 2026-03-10T15:00:35-07:00
Description: Tuesday will be cool and showery, with a slight chance of a brief rain-snow mix and little to no accumulation.

Seattle weather: Cool showers much of the day on Tuesday

Tuesday will be cool and showery, with a slight chance of a brief rain-snow mix and little to no accumulation.

SEATTLE - Winter weather will make a return to the Pacific Northwest with lowland rain, wind, and heavy mountain snow this week.

Rain showers will continue Tuesday night with breezy wind at times. Overnight lows will be more mild than last night, so there will not be as many icy spots.

A map showing the forecast overnight lows on Monday in Western Washington.

Tuesday night will bring rain showers and milder temperatures to Western Washington. (FOX 13 Seattle)

Another wet system will quickly follow on Wednesday, bringing more rain to the lowlands and more snow to the Cascades.

Blizzard warning in the Cascades on Wednesday night

Timeline:

Conditions in the Cascades are expected to deteriorate quickly Wednesday evening as a powerful cold front moves through.

Here’s the timeline for mountain alerts:

Winter weather advisory from now through 6:00 p.m. Wednesday.
10–20 inches of snow is expected during the day Wednesday.
Blizzard warning from 6:00 p.m. Wednesday to 5:00 a.m. Thursday.
Winds gusting up to 45 mph.
8 to 12 additional inches of snow.
Whiteout conditions possible at times.

A blizzard warning will go into effect on Wednesday evening.

Gusty winds will create near whiteout conditions for the mountains Wednesday night. (FOX 13 Seattle)

When you combine strong winds with heavy snow, visibility can drop dramatically. Travel through the passes could become very difficult or even impossible, and temporary road closures are possible. Continued rounds of heavy snow are likely as another system arrives Thursday and into Friday.

If you are traveling through the Cascades this week, you should be prepared for severe winter conditions.

Gusty lowland winds and widespread rain

Big picture view:

Wednesday evening will bring widespread rain and windy conditions to the Western Washington lowlands. Along the coast, strong post-frontal westerly winds could gust as high as 55 mph, and a Wind Advisory has already been issued.

Gusty winds are also expected through the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and additional wind advisories may be needed for areas like Whidbey Island and Admiralty Inlet.

A map showing the futurecast for rain and snow Wednesday midday.

Widespread rain and mountain snow will hit Western Washington Wednesday. (FOX 13 Seattle)

Across the interior lowlands and greater Seattle area, expect a windy evening, with gusts in the 30–40 mph range and isolated gusts to 50 mph. The strongest winds will hit from 5:00 to 11:00 PM Wednesday night.

Atmospheric river arrives Thursday

By the numbers:

By Thursday, an atmospheric river aims at Western Washington. Even though atmospheric rivers usually bring warmer air, cool air will still be in place, keeping snow levels around 3,000 feet. That means heavy snow will continue in the Olympics and Cascades while the lowlands deal with another round of rain showers. Highs Thursday will remain in the mid-40s.

Looking ahead

Forecast models show the atmospheric river lingering into Friday night, which could bring another 2 to 3 feet of snow to the mountains between Thursday and Friday night.

The 7 day forecast for the greater Seattle area.

The next week will feel more like mid-winter again across Western Washington. While most lowland areas will mainly see rain, the mountains will be piling up snow. Breezy wind will also be a factor. (FOX 13 Seattle)