Spring for real? Mid-March weather still making up its mind around Tacoma, South Sound
It looks like Puget Sound will skip straight into spring just in time for the equinox — although first we must power through a few more days of winter rain and heavy winds.
The stretch of land from Bellingham to Seattle, Tacoma and even south through Chehalis will see intermittent drizzles, breezy conditions and temperatures dipping into the 30s through Tuesday night.
Despite glimpses of sunshine, the National Weather Service predicts scattered rain showers Saturday night and Sunday. Winds from the south are expected to hover around 13 to 17 miles per hour, with gusts whirling at up to 26.
Saturday afternoon, NWS Seattle added that thunderstorms are “developing from Everett through Seattle and Tacoma, with small hail, lightning, and gusty winds expected as it moves eastward.”
The Olympic Peninsula will endure heavy winds and lots of rain. NWS warns of hazardous conditions along the coast, including the possibility of flooding and thunderstorms through this weekend. Watch out for roadway “ponding” and slippery, potentially dangerous streets due to poor drainage, the regional agency wrote in its weekend briefing.
Both the Olympics and the Cascade Mountains will welcome a bit more snow before spring says hello, with a few inches anticipated to fall. The passes will mostly be spared: “Snow-covered roads and minor travel delays possible across the Cascade passes,” added NWS.
Meanwhile, temperatures will inch toward light-jacket levels by Monday — but don’t drop the raincoat. Expect rain Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, at which point we might just catch a break.
By Thursday, you might be tempted to drop your thermostat down as the thermometer reaches for 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
Come Friday, it’s on.
Look for sun and a high of 59 in the greater Seattle area, around Tacoma and Olympia, too.
By the weekend, our parks and waterfront walkways are sure to fill up with sun-lusting Pacific Northwesterners shunning their outer layers to bask in the glory of a 64-degree Saturday.
It’s about time, considering the Seattle area “broke a streak of 13 days in a row with below-normal highs,” NWS said on March 9. “A series of weather systems will bring rain at times to the area through Tuesday. Drying trend latter half of next week with highs in the 60s possible by Friday.”
The weather gurus also reminded us to not forget about Daylight Savings Time, which hits in the wee hours of March 10. Listen to “Time” by Pink Floyd, “Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper, “Time It’s Time” by Talk Talk and “No Time This Time” by the Police, they implored, with an image of a custom time-themed playlist.
Don’t get lost in the memories before spring offiically arrives on Tuesday, March 19.