EVERETT — Yes, it’s possible, even in Snohomish County’s lowlands, Santa could be dashing through the snow on Christmas Day.
Meteorologists at the National Weather Service in Seattle were Dreaming of a White Christmas on Tuesday, as a series of storms were expected to move in from the Pacific Ocean, bringing heavy loads of precipitation, as well as some decent winds on Wednesday.
At sea level, rain could turn to snow by the weekend.
Forecasters expect temperatures to dip into the 30s by the end of the week at Paine Field, with lows this weekend set to be below normal, possibly dropping into the low 20s.
That is to say, if you Want to Build a Snowman, you might get your chance soon. Just don’t count on it yet. The forecast is unsettled, meteorologists say. Projections could change closer to the weekend.
National Weather Service meteorologist Kirby Cook explained that cold temperatures have to line up with incoming moisture.
“It kind of has to line up at the same time,” he said.
That doesn’t happen too often in the Puget Sound region. But the best chance this week is on Saturday.
Some mountain towns have already seen light dustings, for example in Skykomish and Darrington.
Darrington, Washington. pic.twitter.com/GE18L1jBzu
— Ellen Dennis (@reporterellen) December 20, 2021
Predictably, the mountains should get more snow, and are expected to get it throughout the week. That’s good news for skiers. After an unusually warm November caused a delay, Stevens Pass opened last week. A convergence zone that formed over the weekend gave a little powder boost.
Not everyone will be laughing all the way, though. Snow means trouble on the road, especially in the passes, which could see 6 to 12 inches by early Thursday.
Plan ahead for the bad weather so you don’t have to spend too much time driving in it. If you must drive in the snow, exercise caution: Reduce your speed, maintain a longer following distance, and give yourself more time to slow down and stop. Bring chains if you’re going over the pass.
Better yet, Cook suggested, don’t drive at all.
Looking ahead into next week, Cook said we could be seeing colder, drier weather, with temperatures possibly, maybe, plummeting into the single digits. Ice, Ice, Baby.
In other news, with the winter solstice on Tuesday, the days will be getting longer, second by second.
Starting Wednesday, though, the sun may not come out much for days. So why not embrace winter for now, and Let It Snow?
After all, according to at least one source, It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.
Zachariah Bryan:
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