Today and tonight might be a good time to read the Sunday paper, watch football and finish wrapping the Christmas presents.
That’s because stepping outside could be hazardous to your well-being.
Here’s the deal: The National Weather Service is predicting knee-deep new snow in the mountains by Monday, 30-foot seas on the coast and high winds nearly everywhere in Western Washington.
Those forecasts include gusting between 25 and 35 miles per hour in the Puget Sound area, with some gusts up to 60 mph. On the coast, the Weather Service says, gusts may reach 70 mph.
Those wind-driven waves could cause coastal flooding in places, and the new mountain snow and windy conditions could create blizzard conditions on most of the Washington passes.
Accompanying those winds, at least in lower elevations, will be plentiful precipitation. In the mountains, that rain is expected to turn to snow, bringing up to 36 inches in new accumulations by Monday night with drifts in places.
Snow is expected at elevations above 1,000 feet today.
At Snoqualmie Pass Saturday night, the Washington Department of Transportation already was requiring chains for all but four-wheel-drive vehicles. Traction tires were advised on White and Stevens passes.
The rest of the week’s forecast calls for soggy conditions through at least mid-week, if not later.
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