Another Brief Cold Snap Ahead

 FastCast—Monday, Mar. 7 to Saturday, Mar. 12:

After a calm weekend, a week of changing weather is ahead. Expect clouds on Monday, with light showers moving in on Tuesday. Then, the pattern will flip, with winds shifting to northerly and temperatures dropping, due to a brief Arctic airmass moving through. On Wednesday, highs will only reach the mid 40s, with lows Thursday morning dropping to the mid 20s across Western Washington, and into the low teens to low 20s in Eastern Washington. Temperatures warm toward the end of the week, and by Saturday, we are back to highs in the low 50s and lows in the low 40s, with a rainy and breezy pattern expected.

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Continue reading the full blog below!

A mostly calm couple days are ahead, with clouds on Monday and light showers at times on Tuesday. Then, as a weak system on Tuesday moves out, Arctic air advancing south into the interior US will clip Western Washington. A brief cold snap is expected for Western Washington, with lows in the mid 20s on Thursday morning, and around freezing on Wednesday and Friday.

The European model forecast for Thursday’s low temperatures (coldest morning) is below.

Expect lows in the mid 20s across most of Western Washington, except near 30 near the water. In Eastern Washington and the Cascades, expect lows in the low teens to low 20s. 

These are cold temperatures for March, so be prepared if you have any plants already growing outside.

Why is another cold snap happening? The answer can be found in the European model forecast for Wednesday.

Washington is in the black circle. Notice that the ridge (red/orange shade) has broken down and allowed the Arctic air trough (blue/purple shade) to clip the Pacific Northwest. This brief intrusion of Arctic air is what will cause these brief cold temperatures.

Expect biting northerly winds at times from midday Tuesday through Wednesday, also due to the Arctic air moving in. The colder temperatures will be accompanied by partly to mostly sunny skies at times between Wednesday and Friday.

Then, on Saturday, the pattern shifts to a more active one. A wetter and breezier pattern is likely. While details aren’t yet certain, it is likely that it’ll be much wetter. The European model for rain through the next 10 days (ending March 16th) is below.

This forecast says that the lowlands will receive 2-3 inches of rain by the 16th, most from Saturday (12th) onward.

Stay tuned for more updates about the cold snap and wetter pattern!