Parade of Active Weather for Western Washington

A rainy and breezy (possibly windy) week is ahead for Western Washington. Let’s dive into the details!

Rain will move into Western Washington late Monday night/early Tuesday morning, and will continue through Tuesday evening, tapering by early Wednesday morning. Here’s the UW precipitation forecast through 4 AM Wednesday.

Expect 0.3-1.3 inches of rain through this timeframe. 

Another focus on Tuesday will be wind. Take a look at the blend of 4 forecast models for Puyallup. (Big numbers=sustained winds, small numbers=gusts)

Winds will gust 25-40 mph around the area on Tuesday. Due to the part of the season we’re in, I expect these winds will be more of a nuisance than anything else...but still be prepared.

Temperatures on Tuesday will remain in the range of 40-47 degrees.

Wednesday looks to start off calm, but another round of rain will move in midday, along with some breezy to windy conditions lasting into Thursday.

Expect another 0.15-0.7 inches of rain from 4 AM Wednesday to 4 AM Thursday.

Winds from Wednesday evening to Thursday evening look to be near the same as the last system, so I’d expect winds gusting 25-40 mph from Wednesday evening to Thursday evening.

Thursday looks to be a break in the action, with only scattered showers.

Perhaps the most impactful weather takes aim at the region from Friday to Sunday, when 0.5-2 inches of rain and winds of 40-55 mph are possible. Uncertainty remains regarding timing and details, but stay tuned for updates!

Chilly Night, Gap Winds, and Rain Impacting Western Washington

Saturday morning was cold...as promised! Take a look at the low temperatures around the area.

Lows dropped below freezing in most places, with upper 20s being common, especially away from the water.

Saturday night will be chilly, but not as cold as the night before. This is because a weather system will be moving in, bringing rain and breezy winds (20-30 mph).

As this weather system moves in, a strong pressure gradient (change) across the Cascades will bring strong winds through the gaps in the terrain. 

The outlined areas will most likely experience increased winds (gusting 20-30 mph away from the foothills and 30-50 mph near the foothills).

Rain will move into the Puget Sound area by daybreak Sunday. The UW model forecasts 0.1-0.3 inches of rain through 4 PM Sunday.

That's not all. We'll get another 0.3-0.9 more inches of rain through Tuesday. Total rain through 4 PM Tuesday will be 0.6-1.3 inches.

I expect that we will receive even more rain through the end of the week and in to the weekend. We are in a La Nina pattern for this winter, which means we will have cooler and wetter weather, so this is going "as planned."

Since the rain will be associated with weather systems moving through, expect breezy winds through the week, with gusts of 20-30 mph likely.

There will also be a plentiful amount of mountain snow...with 12-18 inches at Snoqualmie and Stevens Passes. The snow level will be 2,000-3,000 feet.

Expect more mountain snow through this week & the weekend.

Stay tuned for more information about upcoming weather systems and their impacts! We're not through with our stormy pattern yet...

Active Weather Pattern Continues

It has been a rainy week in Western Washington. Our precipitation totals since Sunday (12/6) are below.

Totals of 0.6-1.7 inches since Sunday...and more is on the way. Notice the heaviest rain in the South Hill/Orting/Graham areas. Higher totals are due to stronger bands of rain being focused on a certain area.

Friday will be mostly dry, with a chance of rain in the afternoon/evening. I'd expect nothing more than scattered showers, with totals of 0.05-0.2 inches likely.

Friday will also be chilly, with highs in the low-mid 40s. With a slight chance of rain later on Friday and into early Sunday, and temperatures of 26-35 degrees Friday night/Saturday morning, a slight chance of rain/snow mix or "chunky rain" exists. This will be non-impactful, but keep it in mind.

Saturday morning lows are below. (Forecast from the European model).

Brrr! Be prepared for a chilly morning!

As we move through Saturday (partly sunny, low-mid 40s), a strong low pressure system will approach the Gulf of Alaska, while a high pressure ridge dominates the Intermountain West.

Outlined in the UW forecast model image below (valid 9 PM Saturday) are the high "H" and low "L" and the winds moving through gaps in the terrain (arrows). 

Expect winds to gust 30-40 mph in areas that are prone to easterly winds (in and to the west of the red outlined regions). These winds will be strongest Saturday night into Sunday morning.

Guess what happens on Sunday? The return of rain (I'm sure you could've guessed). A frontal system will bring 0.2-0.75 inches of rain on Sunday. 

The UW forecast model below shows rain from 4 PM Saturday-4 PM Sunday. Most (likely all) of this will fall on Sunday.

This is just the beginning. Expect a break on Tuesday, and then we are in store for a rainy and potentially breezy rest of the week. 

I expect we will receive 1.5 to 6 inches of rain through the 20th. 

In addition...(insert rejoicing skiers)...plentiful amounts of mountain snow are likely, with 1-3 feet of snow through the next 10 days.