The next system is ahead for Western Washington later on Friday through Saturday, bringing lowland rain, mountain snow, windy conditions at times, and a chance of lowland snow in Whatcom County and near Hood Canal. For the lowlands, expect 0.5-1.25 inches of rain with this system, mainly from midday Friday to midday Saturday. The coast will receive 1.5-3 inches. With snow levels remaining relatively low at 1,000-2,000 feet, the passes and ski areas will pick up 8-18 inches of snow. Expect delays over the passes, especially from midday Friday through Saturday night. There is a slight chance of 1-2 inches of lowland snow near Hood Canal and in Whatcom County, mainly from late Friday to early Saturday. Winds with this system will peak from Friday night to early Saturday morning. Gusts will range from 25-35 mph in the lowlands to 45-55 mph on the coast and from Everett northward. A significant change will begin on Sunday, with no rain expected in the extended forecast. Conditions will remain cloudy through Monday. For the entire period, expect highs in the mid 40s and lows in the mid to upper 30s.
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Continue reading the full blog below!
A typical winter weather system is ahead for Western Washington, with lowland rain, heavy mountain snow, and gusty winds, plus a chance of localized lowland snow.
Let’s start with the European model forecast for rain through late Saturday night. Expect rain to start midday Friday, getting showery by midday Saturday.
The European model shows 0.75-1.25 inches of rain across the lowlands, with 0.4-0.9 inches north of Skagit County. Expect 1.5-3 inches on the coast.
Now let’s take a look at the NAM high-resolution forecast for rain through late Saturday night.
The NAM shows 0.5-1.25 inches across the lowlands, with less in the North Sound. The coast will pick up 1.5-3 inches.
Now for the mountain snow. Below is the European model forecast for snow through late Saturday night.
Expect 8-18 inches of snow at the passes and ski areas, with a potential for up to 24 inches. Most of Eastern Washington will get snow, with 6-14 inches around Wenatchee, 3-7 inches near Spokane and Yakima, and 1-4 inches in the Tri-Cities.
Brief accumulating snow of a dusting to 2 inches is possible around Hood Canal, Whatcom County, and in the Coastal Mountains.
Now for snow on the high-resolution NAM model’s snow forecast through late Saturday night.
The NAM forecast shows 8-18 inches at the passes/ski areas and 1-5 inches for most of Eastern Washington, except 5-10 inches north of US-2 and near Wenatchee, especially in mountain valleys.
The NAM shows a dusting to 3 inches of snow around Hood Canal and between the Canadian Border and Vancouver BC, but not in Whatcom County.
Winds are expected with this system as well, with gusts of 25-35 mph in the lowlands and 45-55 mph on the coast and from Everett northward. Winds will peak from Friday evening through Saturday morning.
Finally, there is a big change ahead in the extended forecasts. This has even changed since the last blog post. Models are honing in on a colder and drier pattern next week, and that is reflected in the NWS Climate Prediction Center extended outlooks from December 14-18.
Below is the CPC temperature probability outlook for December 14-18.
This outlook shows a 60-90% probability of below average temperatures in mid-December.
Next, the precipitation probability outlook for December 14-18.
This is a new trend versus previous outlooks. This shows a 40-50% probability of below average precipitation into mid-December.
Overall, this shows that a cold and dry pattern is likely starting sometime next week, so stay tuned for more details.
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