Snow could fly by Friday
Published 9:57 pm Tuesday, December 9, 2008
This weekend is likely to bring the first snow of the year to the Puget Sound lowlands, though it’s uncertain how much.
As of now, it’s not expected to be a big event, said Johnny Burg, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Seattle. Still, that could change.
A rain-snow mix is forecast for Friday night, with rain and snow showers for Saturday.
“We’re looking at it to be a little too warm on Saturday for it to stick around for long,” Burg said. The high is expected to reach about 39 on Saturday, after dipping to 34 on Friday night.
A cold front is expected to descend from Canada on Saturday night, and some precipitation could come with it, but it’s iffy whether there will be enough for snow.
“We don’t know how cold it’s going to be and we don’t know how much is going to fall,” Burg said. “The only thing we can tell people right now is to pay attention to the forecasts.”
Either way, it’s expected to be colder than it is now. Temperatures are forecast to dip into the low- to mid-20s Saturday through Monday night with sunny skies and highs in the low- to mid-30s during the day on Sunday and Monday.
If it does snow late Saturday, the cold could cause it to stick around for a while, Burg said.
Snohomish County crews are getting ready for snow, just in case. Fifteen dump trucks will be fitted with plows and sand spreaders, public works director Steve Thomsen said.
“Our maintenance guys are preparing, we’re starting to gear up,” he said.
During the heaviest snow events, more than 20 dump trucks can be converted to plow-and-sanding mode, Thomsen said. Staff are waiting to see if the forecast changes before converting more trucks, which takes a fair amount of work, he said.
The chance of snow Friday and Saturday is greater in the Cascade foothills, and more snow is expected in the mountains — possibly the most yet this winter, Burg said. Still, it’s uncertain how much.
Reporter Bill Sheets: 425-339-3439 or sheets@heraldnet.com.
