It’s expected to get colder in South Sound this week. But cold enough for snow?
The first in a series of frontal systems moved across the Pacific Northwest on Saturday, but it remained unclear whether an expected dip in temperature late this coming week would be enough for Tacoma or Olympia to see some snow.
Amid a relatively mild winter, it’s possible that the coldest temperatures of the season thus far arrive near the end of the week and sustain through next weekend, according to the National Weather Service.
Saturday is forecast to be a cool and wet day in the South Sound with highs in the low to mid 40s over the lowlands. Widespread light-to-moderate rainfall and mountain snow is expected this weekend through Monday, with a brief break on Sunday, although that break is unlikely to be strong enough for complete dryness, the NWS said.
A new, stronger cold front is forecast to arrive Monday night and drive much colder temperatures in the second half of the coming week. That includes the possibility of lowland snowfall, the NWS said.
The potential for snow depends on how cold it gets, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Matthew Cullen, who’s with the Seattle office.
Tacoma is currently forecast to see high temperatures around 40 degrees on Thursday and near 30 degrees on Friday. If temperatures dip lower, combined with moisture, that would bring snow, Cullen said. Otherwise, widespread rain is forecast late in the coming week and into next weekend.
It’s too early to say if the ingredients are lining up to be certain that it would snow in Tacoma, according to Cullen.
“That’s always the challenge for low elevation snow here in Washington,” he said.
Meanwhile, in Olympia, low temperatures are forecast to dip below freezing by Thursday, with lows falling to 20 degrees next weekend, Jan. 13-14. High temperatures those days are expected to stay around freezing. As of now, snow is in the forecast for Saturday, Jan. 13.
The greatest probability of accumulating lowland snow is north of Seattle, across northwestern Snohomish County and western Whatcom and Skagit Counties, according to the NWS.
“We continue to monitor the potential for extreme cold late next week, with growing confidence for at least the coldest temperatures thus far this winter season as a strong Arctic surface high noses southward east of the Canadian Rockies,” the NWS said.
This story was originally published January 6, 2024 at 10:49 AM.
