The coldest air of the season is headed our way for early next week but that's only one of the critical ingredients for lowland snow in Western Washington. The other is moisture.
Through the end of the work week
We'll have rain and mountain snow to start Wednesday with the snow level around 3,000 feet -- meaning Snoqualmie Pass is likely to have light rain and snow mix.
It'll be drier on Thursday as a weak ridge of high pressure moves over the area before another rainy front on Friday into early Saturday.
The weekend marks a turning point
A storm system diving southeast into the region on Sunday will bring some rain and mountain snow. Meanwhile, cold air will be plunging south from Alaska and the Yukon Territory south through British Columbia.
Cold air is an ingredient for lowland snow in western Washington. However, the problem with a fast-moving cold airmass like what appears to be on the way for early next week is that it is very dry, displacing the more moist Pacific air in place. %
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But, while it doesn't appear right now that we will have much moisture to work with from Sunday evening through Tuesday for lowland snow, we're still many days away so we just have to watch and wait.
(Yes, I'm bringing Sunday evening into possibilities here just in case one of the "faster" forecast models is correct with the arrival of the colder air.)
Bottom line, kids: Don't get your hopes up yet!
Still, as of this writing Tuesday evening, I have a little "snowflake" as well as a raindrop on my forecast for Monday with chilly high temperatures in the 30s. 'Tis the season.
The airmass looks to remain quite cold through Tuesday and Wednesday of next week (think highs in the 30s or maybe low 40s with lows near or below freezing) so the winter wardrobe will be out! By those days, it should be too dry for anything more than flurries.
It should be noted just for educational purposes that often our best shot at significant lowland snow is not when we're entering a time of much colder air, but actually as the transition is taking place from a cold weather pattern back to a more typical wet and somewhat warmer weather pattern.
But many times those transitions from a colder to a warmer weather pattern happen without incident. Still, it's something we'd watch closely when it occurs, likely later next week.
Cox Media Group
