Temps slowly dropping with a chance of Christmas weekend snow
Seattle - As we look ahead to a potentially snowy Christmas weekend, it's a mild Wednesday in Western Washington with temperatures expected to top out close to 50 degrees. Showers are expected on and off today with breezy wind at times.
The Washington Coast is at a "marginal" risk for severe thunderstorms this afternoon and early evening. Remember that these kinds of storms can produce strong localized wind, lightning, and hail. There's even the possibility of some rotation, so keep your eyes on the skies.
This Christmas weekend, cold arctic air will rush into Western Washington bringing a chance for some winter weather. Here are the highlights:
The Next Three Days (Wednesday-Friday) – Today through Friday looks mild and wet for the lowlands. We will be cooling each day, but temps will still be well above freezing. There won’t be any travel issues in the lowlands through Christmas Eve.
Christmas Day (Saturday) – This is our transition day as cold arctic air begins to push south. The best chance for snow in the lowlands will be up north in Whatcom County. Most areas will begin to see a rain/snow mix by the late afternoon and evening. Light snow is possible after sunset, but I don’t expect much accumulation, if any at all.
Saturday Night/Sunday – This time period will be our best chance for snow. If temps are cold enough and the precip is still hanging around, a few inches of snow is possible Saturday night through Sunday. If we run out of moisture, we may only see a few flurries and very light accumulation. We will have a better idea on snow totals as we get closer.
Monday and Beyond – The big story next week will be the cold temperatures. Starting Monday, we will really start to feel the impacts of this arctic airmass with high temperatures struggling to make it out of the 20s and overnight lows in the upper teens or low 20s. Monday and Tuesday look mainly dry with mostly cloudy skies. Another round of snow is possible Tuesday, but confidence is low on that right now.
One more thing…
In the Cascades – A foot of snow is expected at the pass levels between now and Thursday night, with the bulk of it hitting after sunset tonight. We could see 3-4+ feet of snow by this time next week. This will make travel difficult over the passes for the next seven days. Make sure to visit WSDOT’s website for the latest travel restrictions.
The models are in good agreement that next week will be bitter cold, so now would be a good time to find your outdoor faucet covers and prepare your pipes.
