Major Weather Shift: Heavy Rain, Strong Winds, and Mountain Snow Arrive Sunday

 FastCast—Sunday, Jan. 2 to Monday, Jan. 3:

Happy New Year! 2022 will begin with a return to mostly “normal” weather in the Pacific Northwest. A system moving in on Sunday will bring much warmer temperatures (but temperatures will re-freeze in the upper 20s to low 30s Sunday morning) with temperatures reaching the upper 30s to low 40s. This, combined with expected rain, will make some significant progress melting remaining snow. Expect southerly winds to increase overnight into the morning. Wind Advisories are in effect for different areas. The North/Central Coast and Interior Lowlands will get southerly gusts up to 50 mph. The Foothills and Port Townsend area will have E-SE winds gusting up to 55 mph. The North Sound and South Washington Coast will have very strong gusts of 55-65 mph. A cold front will move in Sunday afternoon and evening, bringing 0.5-1.5 inches of rain. This will cause urban flooding and standing water, especially in areas with clogged storm drains. To top it off, the mountains will receive 1-2 feet of snow, keeping mountain pass travel difficult. Chances of lowland/foothill snow are possible on Sunday night and Monday afternoon/night with colder temperatures and easterly winds. Stay tuned for more information on this!

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Continue reading the full blog below!

After days in the freezer, Western Washington is transitioning back to typical weather, with rain, strong winds, and mountain snow. Lowland temperatures will warm into the upper 30s to low 40s on Sunday, after a brief freeze overnight Saturday into Sunday (lows in the upper 20s to low 30s). 

The biggest weather impact will be strong winds around the region. Below is the HRRR forecast for wind gusts at 7 PM Sunday, around the time of cold frontal passage.

Generally, expect gusts up to 50 mph in the metro area and the North/Central Coast, up to 55 mph in the Foothills and Eastern Strait areas (E-SE winds), and the strongest gusts of 55-65 mph in the North Sound and on the South Coast.

These winds will produce tree damage and potential power outages around the region. 

Rain will be heaviest with frontal passage in the evening. Rain totals through Monday evening from the HRRR model are below.

Expect rain totals of 0.5-1 inches in the Lowlands, except less in the Olympic rain shadow and more from Olympia southward.

This rain, which will be heavy at times, combined with warming temperatures will cause rapid snowmelt. High temperatures for Sunday are below (from the Euro model).

Expect highs in the upper 30s to low 40s in the lowlands and in the mid 40s on the coast. Expect the combination of rain and warmer temperatures to bring areas of urban flooding and lots of standing water on area roadways. Be sure to clear clogged storm drains if possible.

There will still be snow…but a much more uncertain forecast. Below is the Euro model forecast for snowfall (not accumulation) through Monday evening.

The passes will receive 1-2 feet of snow, and the higher elevations will receive 3-4 feet. You’ll notice that in this map, the lowlands receive some snowfall, a trace to 3 inches according to the Euro model. In the wake of the cold front (Monday afternoon/evening), temperatures will cool to the mid 30s, and with higher precipitation rates, brief snow is possible.

Some forecasts have shown a potential for metro area snow in the wake of the cold front on Sunday night/early Monday. Light easterly winds and temperatures cooling into the 30s make this complex situation possible. This is still very uncertain and may not happen, but be prepared for a fast transition to wet snow on Sunday night in some parts of the lowlands.

Stay tuned on Twitter to our local meteorologists for more information on what weather is upcoming!