Washington weather: Wind, rain expected for Thanksgiving weekend

While skiers and snowboarders are cheerfully greeting snow in the mountains, Washington weather elsewhere in the state is expected to be quite different over the Thanksgiving holiday.

The National Weather Service reports that “rain, heavy mountain snow and winds will be on the menu,” this Thanksgiving and on through the weekend.

Mountain passes expected to open for skiers over Thanksgiving weekend

Wind will impact the coastal areas of the state, but it will also blow heavily into Puget Sound affecting communities north of Everett — along I-5 in Skagit and Whatcom Counties. Those strong winds will last from Wednesday through Thursday. The San Juans and the Admiralty Inlet will be hit the hardest. South and southeast winds are expected to reach between 20-45 mph, with gusts up to 65 mph.

The weather service advises that widespread power outages and downed trees are to be expected.

Areas South of Everett will be spared from the stronger winds, but will still be affected, according to the weather service. Wind speeds of 15-35 mph and gusts of 35-45 mph are expected. Communities in this region should also be prepared for potential power outages.

Rainy Washington weather

Rain is also expected to arrive over the holiday, but the weather service says it won’t be heavy enough to cause landslide concerns in the region on Thanksgiving, but it notes that “landslide potential will increase this weekend with more rain.”

As expected with so much snow in the mountains, travel will be affected across the passes. Snow levels will be around 3,000 feet, and the powder is expected to fall through Friday.

It is advised that travelers over the mountains prepare with emergency kits in their cars.

Locally very #windy North Interior Wed night & #Thanksgiving. Mountains gonna get big #snow, affecting passes. #Prepare now! #wawx pic.twitter.com/46OP6UmR5K

— NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) November 23, 2016

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