Snow and wet snow on tap this week with slushy accumulation in places

SEATTLE — Snow continues to be in the forecast this week as we head into March, but any accumulation on Monday looks mainly to be west and south of Puget Sound.

More widespread snow is expected on Tuesday.

Forecast

A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued for late Monday night through Tuesday for most of Western Washington. Spotty accumulations of one to three inches of snow is possible through Tuesday morning, with the best chances of the higher end of that range north of Seattle to about Mount Vernon.

For the remainder of Monday evening, some showers of rain/snow and even some small hail are possible. Coastal locations will have the best shot at some snow or hail accumulation through late evening.

By about 2 to 3 a.m. Tuesday, a wave (or several bands) of wet snow will move northeasterly across Western Washington. Snow levels will be near sea level, so what does fall should eventually be all snow by the hours before daybreak. This snow will have the best chance of accumulating on grassy and elevated surfaces, but in spots where snow is heavier, roadways could get slushy or snowy for a time. The same goes for driveways and sidewalks and untreated side streets.

The best chance for snowfall in excess of two inches will be in the mountains and north of Seattle through Snohomish and southern Skagit counties. However, impactful accumulation will be possible in any location, hence the Winter Weather Advisory.

From late morning into Tuesday afternoon, precipitation will become more spotty in nature and include some rain and wet snowflakes. Also, as temperatures warm into the upper 30s and lower 40s, along with some sunshine at times, that should help with any travel problems lingering from the morning.

Wednesday will be mainly dry, but staying chilly in the morning, so some patches of ice will be possible. We’ll get some sunshine to emerge on Wednesday, with highs in the 40s.

We’ll be watching Thursday morning as widespread precipitation moves across the area. Snow levels look to be near or above 500 feet but close enough to lowland urban areas that any heavier precipitation could bring accumulating snow for a time. However, most lowland areas should be in rain or a rain/snow mix with minimal problems. But this bears watching.

From Friday through Saturday, highs will be in the low to mid-40s, with morning lows near or just above freezing. Lighter showers of overnight and morning snow and afternoon rain will be around, along with some sunshine.

We could be drier by Sunday.

The long-range outlook for early March continues to point to the Pacific Northwest remaining under a cool trough of low pressure, so there’s no sign of any larger pattern change that could put us on the path to spring, at least through the first ten days of the month. Winter continues.

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