With rain on its way Thursday, is a Western Washington White Christmas possible this year?
Dec 10, 2024, 8:00 AM | Updated: 8:20 am
The weather for the work week ahead reflects a mixed bag, yet offers typical mid-December conditions with no extremes.
Tuesday and Wednesday will tender peeks of sunshine after areas of morning fog and cool temperatures. Highs are expected to rise into the 40s – seasonal for the middle of the month after morning lows in the 30s.
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Areas away from moderating bodies of water like Puget Sound and larger lakes will likely have icy spots on roadways, particularly on bridges and overpasses.
Then, on Thursday, a weakening Pacific frontal system is anticipated to spread light rain onshore through much of Western Washington, with lingering showers into Friday. High temperatures will remain in the 40s while lows should moderate to approximately 40 degrees. Snow levels in the Cascades on Thursday are expected to start the day around 3,500 feet, and then fall to near 2,500 feet.
The upcoming weekend, however, offers more inclement weather. A developing low-pressure system is forecast to intensify as it moves onto the Oregon coast Saturday. Strong and potentially damaging winds are quite likely from the central Oregon coast southward into northern California. Winds across Western Washington should remain far lighter.
Rain will also accompany this system and spread northward across Western Washington on Saturday, with snow above approximately 2,500 feet in the Cascades. Another Pacific frontal system is anticipated to arrive Sunday with more rain and mountain snow developing. At this point, it looks wet for the Sunday evening NFC West first-place Seattle Seahawks game against the 9-4 Green Bay Packers. The rain also means it will be difficult to see the next full moon on Sunday, named the Cold Moon.
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Temperatures across Western Washington this weekend should have highs in the 40s and lows hovering around 40 degrees.
Looking further ahead toward Christmas Eve, long-range charts point to more rain and seasonal temperatures. The historic odds for a Western Washington White Christmas are tough to achieve at only about a 5% chance of one inch or more snow on the ground. More on the holiday season weather details as the calendar moves closer to Santa’s arrival.
Ted Buehner is the KIRO Newsradio meteorologist. You can read more of Ted’s stories here and follow him on X
