Soggy and gusty weekend of weather

Warmer start to the week, with some lowland rain

FOX 13 Meteorologist Abby Acone has your full forecast.

SEATTLE - After enjoying sunny and dry weather, the storm gates are opening up this weekend. Buckle up for strong gusts, mountain snow and rounds of lowland rain.

It's tough to believe stormy weather is on tap for Western Washington. Many in Puget Sound woke up to epic views like this one over Mt. Rainier. Throughout the day, clouds will thicken up which is a sign that changes are on the horizon.

Rain will push into Puget Sound by 1-6 p.m. today after battering the coast all morning long. On-and-off rain is in the forecast the next several days. I think the heaviest rain will happen this afternoon to Sunday morning, and again from late Sunday to Monday morning. Strong winds will come with the rain. Gusts will peak overnight to Sunday morning, firing up again late Sunday to Monday.

Let's talk about the winds. A Wind Advisory is in effect until 4 a.m. Sunday for the Central and North Coast. Gusts to 50 mph are possible. For Port Angeles, Sequim, Mount Vernon and Bellingham, a Wind Advisory lasts until 8 a.m. Sunday for gusts to 50 mph, too.

Winds this strong could lead to minor damages and power outages. Even more powerful winds are on tap for Port Townsend, Whidbey and Camano Islands this afternoon. That's where a High Wind Warning is in place from noon to 6 p.m. today for gusts potentially reaching 60 mph.

Over the mountains, anywhere from 2-8" of snow is possible for the passes. However, this forecast is very challenging. Precipitation will be changing back and forth from rain to snow; bottom line: be prepared for changing conditions the next three days for the passes. Heavier snow will stack up above passes. Over the northern Cascades, 9-17" are in the forecast. The Olympics are covered in a Winter Storm Warning where one to two feet of snow could pile up above 3,000 feet.

From today through Monday, many in the lowlands will get 1-4" of rain. This could be more than three times the amount of rain we've seen so far at Sea-Tac Airport this month! Some rivers could be rising late Monday to Tuesday morning, but right now – it doesn't look to be a major event by any stretch. We'll be watching for minor flooding along these rivers: the Skokomish, Snoqualmie, Tolt, Nisqually and Cowlitz. Stay tuned for updates!