Scattered reports of snow; levels drop to 500′ overnight into Thursday
Jan 8, 2020, 9:41 AM | Updated: 10:45 pm
Could snow be coming to Seattle soon? (MyNorthwest photo)
(MyNorthwest photo)
Forecasters say lowland areas could see light snow or a rain/snow mix into Thursday morning. Accumulations will be light and shouldn’t impact travel, according to the National Weather Service in Seattle.
Bookmark: School closure updates
During that period, the National Weather Service expects light snow showers “across the higher hilltops of King, Snohomish, and Pierce Counties, with perhaps a rain/snow mix at times elsewhere.” Little to no accumulation is expected on either Thursday or Friday.
Chance of January snow in Seattle continues to build
It’s next week, though, when things could start to escalate.
“Things become more interesting (and tricky!) from Sunday onwards,” said the NWS in its long-term forecast.
“Don’t run to the market right away, but keep your eye on the forecasts, which could change as the details of the approach systems clarify,” University of Washington Professor of Atmospheric Sciences Cliff Mass elaborated. “But there is a real threat of lowland snow in western Washington and the probability that cold air will move in is very high.”
Forecasts say temperatures in the Seattle area will dip into the low 20s by next Monday. With enough moisture in the air, that could be enough to produce light snow all the way through Thursday of next week.
Seattle winter could be much snowier than usual
“Uncertainty is still high, but sufficiently cold air will be in place to allow snow to reach sea level for substantial portions of time. The issue is getting precipitation during those cold periods,” Mass noted.
