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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Friday, April 18, 2008 Winter may make a weekend visit to Western Washington Overnight frosts and even snow are possible until Tuesday. By Jackson Holtz, Herald Writer The famous fields of tulips may be blooming in the Skagit Valley but forecasters are predicting winterlike weather for the weekend. Snow could fall in the lowlands Saturday and low temperatures through Tuesday could mean overnight frost, according to the National Weather Service in Seattle. A blast of cold air from the Gulf of Alaska is expected to move into the area today and stick around for a few days, said Johnny Burg, a weather service meteorologist. That means any precipitation could fall as a mixture of snow and rain, and if it's cold enough, just snow, he said. "We're not looking for the snow to stick around for too long. It probably will melt," Burg said. In the mountain passes, as much as two feet of snow could pile up, he said. Last Saturday felt like summer. Temperatures soared into the 70s, setting a record for the day in Seattle. New weather records are expected to be set again this weekend, Burg said. This weekend's high temperatures aren't expected to rise much above the mid 40s, which would be the lowest daytime highs ever recorded in the area for April 19 and 20, Burg said. The frigid weather could damage people's gardens, said Sharon Collman, who teaches gardening at the Washington State University Extension. Hearty plants and bulbs should be OK, she said. Smaller plants in pots may need to be covered. "If they're really tender things, I'd bring them inside or nestle them up next to the house," Collman said. Covering plants with mulch also can protect them against frost, she said. Temperatures are expected to return to normal by Tuesday, Burg said. But he said it's likely going to be summer before temperatures again reach the high 70s. Even then, Burg said he's not entirely optimistic. "The way this is going, we may not even see that," he said. Reporter Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3437 or jholtz@heraldnet.com.

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