Rain and snow hitting the region — here’s which mountains are open this weekend
The South Sound forecast tells us rain will stay over the weekend in Puget Sound. But, the Cascade Mountains will see heavy snow.
Temperatures in South Sound will reach 45 degrees on Saturday. Heavy rain will start after 10 a.m. and continue until throughout the day.
Gusty winds are forecast through the afternoon and could result in power outages and fallen trees.
Rain will continue on Sunday, but it will warm up to 52 degrees.
Flooding is still possible over the weekend, according to the National Weather Service. You should also be aware of the risk of rain-driven landslides this weekend, NWS said.
“Moderate to heavy rain this weekend may lead to roadway ponding and minor nuisance flooding of poor drainage areas, creating difficult commute conditions. In addition, there remain areas of ponding from the storm system earlier this week,” according to the NWS. “Additional rainfall could exacerbate local flooding issues.”
The NWS said we’ll have a break from heavy rain, mountain snow and wind until Dec. 16 through 19.
Monday’s South Sound forecast shows a slight chance of rain and temperatures reaching 48 degrees.
The sun will start to come out on Tuesday with a forecast that shows temperatures reaching 46 degrees.
A slight chance of rain is forecast to return after 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 13.
It’s unlikely Pierce County will have a White Christmas, according to The Farmers’ Almanac Christmas forecast.
Ski and snowboard season is here
A Winter Weather advisory by the NWS is in effect starting at 10 a.m. Saturday morning through 4 a.m. Sunday.
The Cascade mountains are expected to get four to 10 inches of snow, according to the winter weather advisory.
Travel delays are expected, according to the NWS.
Crystal Mountain was the first to open its lifts for winter sports on Dec. 6.
White Pass opened its lifts Saturday morning on Dec. 9.
Summit at Snoqualmie opened Saturday Dec. 9 for Summit and Ikon pass holders only.
“There is a chance for a period of freezing rain at Snoqualmie and Stevens Passes early Sunday morning as snow transitions to rain,” according to NWS.
Mt. Baker and Stevens Pass have not announced their opening day. They both anticipate opening soon, according to posts on each of their social media accounts.
For live travel updates you can visit the Real time travel page on the Washington State Department of Transportation’s website for information on closures, live looks at the road, and traffic times.
This story has been updated to correct that Crystal Mountain, Snoqualmie, and White Pass are the only mountains open as of Dec. 9.
This story was originally published December 9, 2023 at 10:13 AM.
