Rain, snow to return to Pacific Northwest

While no blockbuster storms are heading for the Northwest, some opportunities for rain and snow will return and storm travel issues may develop.

Rounds of rain and snow will move into the Northwest later this week and could cause travel trouble typical for this time of year, AccuWeather meteorologists say.

On the heels of Southern California receiving its first significant rain and mountain snow of the winter, some rain and snow will move into the Northwest later this week.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

“After more than two weeks of mainly dry weather for places in the Pacific Northwest, such as Seattle, and Portland and Eugene, Oregon, a wind shift from the Pacific will break through and deliver at least one front and its moisture into the Northwest beginning on Thursday night and Friday,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dave Houk said.

Seattle’s January rainfall has been about 20% of the historical average, which is 5.78 inches. Meanwhile, Portland has picked up just over 2 inches of rain, compared to a historical average of about 5 inches for the month.

As is often the case when a front or full-fledged storm moves onshore from the Pacific, freezing levels will rise and then fall as warm and cold air exchange.

“Snow levels will be lowering Friday and Friday night with slow and slippery travel through Snoqualmie Pass on I-90,” Houk said.

It will get chilly enough for snow to fall near sea level by Saturday morning, but not much moisture will be left over by that time. Still, there could be enough lingering to produce wet snow showers in western Washington and northwestern Oregon on Saturday. “How much moisture is left behind will determine if there will be a small, slushy accumulation or not along the I-5 corridor,” Houk said.

This weekend, there will most likely be a dry zone to the immediate east of the Cascades. Still, some rain and wet snow can fall in eastern parts of Washington and Oregon on Saturday night and Sunday.

While there will not be any major storms that immediately follow the front into the Northwest later this weekend to next week, there will be a weak but slow-moving storm that can bring more showers.

Snow levels will be near sea level from Sunday to Tuesday in the coastal Northwest, and it is possible there can be a little accumulation around Seattle during that time, Houk explained.

“The same slow-moving storm off the coast next week will also continue to direct moisture into the northern half of California and southern Oregon where flooding could evolve in places that get several pulses of heavy rain,” Houk said.

Cooling conditions forecast starting on Friday with light precipitation bring the potential for — gasp! — snow in Seattle this weekend.

Between 4 a.m. Saturday and 4 a.m. Sunday, there’s a 27% chance Seattle could see at least 1 inch of snow, and a 15% chance the city could see 2 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service briefing issued Monday.

It’s not a sure thing yet, but the NWS says the forecast grows “increasingly interesting” starting on Friday. A weather pattern that will likely hang over the Northwest for several days may pull cold air out of Canada, but confidence is still shaky in whether low-altitude areas could actually get any snow.

“Obviously, models and forecasts will need to be monitored in the days ahead to get a better feeling as to if, when and how much snow may fall in the lowlands,” the weather service posted in a forecast discussion Tuesday.

The cold snap has kept Seattle sunny and brisk for several days, but the sun can’t hang around forever. (Well, maybe it does some places. But Seattle wouldn’t know).

Chilly conditions are expected to continue through Wednesday, and on Thursday a slightly warmer and wet system will move in. Showers are likely on Thursday, with high temperatures in the upper 40s.