Snow forecast for lower elevations

Forecasters are calling for snow to dust the higher hills around Snohomish County this afternoon and cause problems at the mountain passes.

That likely will mean treacherous driving conditions.

“Drive at an appropriate speed for the road conditions,” Washington State Patrol trooper Keith Leary said. “It is far more difficult to control a vehicle on an icy or snow covered road than a dry or wet road; this issue compounds the faster you’re driving.”

A cold front pushed through the region this morning pushing freezing levels down to about 1,000 feet, said Johnny Burg, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Seattle.

A strong convergence zone is expected to set up over parts of the county. That’s where winds that whip around the Olympic Peninsula meet up, often creating a unique weather pattern that brings additional precipitation.

The convergence zone could result in snowfall as low as 500 feet, Burg said. Accumulation at the lower elevations isn’t likely.

“It’s probably going to melt away,” he said.

Heavy rain early next week may bring flooding concerns to some parts of Western Washington but rivers that flow off the Cascades do not appear at risk, forecasters said.

Still, this is the time of year when floods occur and it’s best to be prepared.

“That’s something people should pay attention to,” Burg said.