Steady Cooldown & Active Weather Ahead

FastCast—Wednesday, Mar. 29 to Sunday, Apr. 2:

Gap winds brought gusts of 25-45 mph across the region on Tuesday, with some power outages, mainly in Federal Way and West Auburn. Conditions will be partly cloudy and warm (upper 50s to low 60s) on Wednesday, but then the cooldown begins. Conditions will remain mostly cloudy, with highs dropping to the low to mid 50s on Thursday. A system arrives on Friday, bringing steady rain and breezy conditions. Highs will drop to the mid to upper 40s from Friday to Sunday, with lows in the mid to upper 30s. Rain totals by Sunday night will range from 0.6-1.3” across the lowlands, with some rain shadowing around the Sound from Tacoma to Whidbey Island. The foothills will get 1-1.5”, and the coast will get 2-3”. Additionally, expect significant mountain snow, with totals of 8-16 inches at the Passes by Sunday night. 

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Continue reading the full blog below!

Another period of active weather is ahead for the Pacific Northwest, but a couple calm days are expected on Wednesday and Thursday. Let’s take a look at Wednesday’s high temperatures from the European model.

Expect lowland and coastal highs in the mid 50s to low 60s. This model has been a tad too cold recently, so I’d add a couple degrees to these readings. Eastern Washington will warm up to the low 50s to low 60s.

Conditions will cool in the lowlands on Thursday, as seen in the European model forecast below.

On Thursday, expect highs in the low to mid 50s in the lowlands and the mid to upper 40s on the coast. Eastern Washington will be warmer, with highs in the mid 50s to mid 60s (warmest near the Tri Cities).

Friday brings a significant cooldown across the state, with similar temperatures to continue through Sunday (at least). The European model forecast is below.

Lowland and coastal highs will drop to the low to mid 40s (some locations in the upper 40s), which is nearly 10 degrees below average. Eastern Washington won’t be much better, with highs in the mid 40s to low 50s.

As you’d expect, this significant drop in temperatures on Friday will be accompanied by rain. Expect rain at times from Friday morning through Sunday night, heaviest from Friday evening to Saturday morning. Rain totals through Sunday night are below, from the European model forecast.

This will be some needed precipitation for the region, since we have been generally below average over the last few months. In the lowlands, expect 0.6-1.3 inches, with some rain shadowing from Tacoma to Whidbey Island, mainly near the Sound. Outside of these areas, expect 0.9-1.5”. On the coast, expect 2-3 inches, and expect 0.1-0.5” in Eastern Washington, most near the Blue Mountains and Idaho border. The Willamette Valley and SW WA will pick up 1.5-2” as well.

With temperatures being so much below average, mountain precipitation will likely be snow, not rain. Snow levels will hover between 1,500 and 2,500 feet from Friday to Sunday. Below is the total snow forecast from the European model through Sunday night.

Expect significant snow for late March and early April, with Snoqualmie, Stevens, and White Passes picking up 8-16” of snow, potentially more if heavier showers set up.

In short…an active weather pattern is ahead. Details regarding total precipitation amounts, winds, and potential heavy showers/thunderstorms are still coming into focus, so stay tuned for Thursday night’s blog!