Scratch that all next week looks good
Puget Sound Weather Outlook
Updated Saturday 4:10 p.m.
It's soooo Seattle.
A string of weekdays with gorgeous sunshine, and then boom, the weekend arrives and so do the storms.
A trio of weather systems was set to move through the region this weekend, bringing some rain, gusty winds, heavy snow to the mountains, and perhaps even some snow to the lowlands over along Hood Canal.
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY is in effect for the Cascades and Olympics through 6 a.m. Sunday, although snow is expected to fall up there through Sunday.
The first system already went through Saturday morning, and it was more like the appetizer, bringing a little rain and mountain snow, but no big deal.
A second storm was moving in Saturday evening. This one will also bring another round of steady rain to the lowlands and snow to the mountains.
As much as 8-16" of new snow is expected by Sunday morning in the Cascades, and 7-14" is expected in the Olympics.
This later Saturday storm will also wrap in some colder air behind it, and lows Saturday night will drop to the mid 30s.
The third one is probably going to be the most potent, and it's due in Sunday morning. For the lowlands, this is rainy and windy. But snow levels will be low enough -- around 700 feet or so -- that it could bring a little snow to the highest hilltops, and especially over toward the Hood Canal area, where the wind flow will be favorable for creating its own little snow belt along the southeastern Olympic Mountain foothills.
Snow:
First, the snow, as we mentioned, the Hood Canal area could see a few inches of snow, especially above a few hundred feet. The snow would fall mainly in the Sunday morning through midday time frame, then warm and change to rain once the storm center passes around midday and the wind shifts to more of a traditional southwesterly direction.
Some of the higher spots above 500-700 feet, like Tiger Mountain, Cougar Mountain and Snoqualmie Ridge, might see a dusting to a 1/2" or so but it'll quickly melt and change to rain by midday. Forecasting models also paint a trace of snow over the South Everett/Alderwood/Bothell area, but again, any snow will be brief and not cause any problems, and it'll quickly change to rain in the midday hours. Mainly I mention it so as to not have people freak out if they see snow.
For everyone else, it's just a rainy day.
Wind:
Next, the wind. Southerly wind will pick up along the coast in the mid to late morning hours and blow through the day. The High Wind Watch means there is potential for sustained winds of 30-40 mph, gusting to 60 mph.
For the inland areas, forecasting models are still differing on the storm's impact. It does look like the north interior and I-5 corridor will get a punch of wind early Sunday afternoon. No warnings or watches are up yet, although it wouldn't surprise me to at least see a minor Wind Advisory issued as the event draws closer. For now, I'll say south to southeast winds of 25-35 gusting to 50-55 mph for the north interior (areas from Everett north to the border, and over to Port Townsend, including all the islands up there), and southerly gusts to 40-50 mph in the main Puget Sound interior.
The gusty wind will scour out any cold air and push temperatures well into the 40s.
Wind would taper off Sunday evening.
Showers stick around Monday, and then the rest of the week features a continued cool and showery pattern, with periods of steady rain and mountain snow. That sounds sooooo Seattle as well!
Scott Sistek
KOMONews.Com Meteorologist
Story Updated: Mar 14, 2009 at 4:11 PM PDT