‘A large Pacific storm system’ to bring rain, gusty winds and maybe thunder to PNW

Scattered thunderstorms, blustery winds and rain will wash over Puget Sound this weekend.

After a gusty Friday night, where winds reached around 40 miles per hour throughout much of the South Sound and up to 66 on Whidbey Island, rain will tumble up and down Western Washington. According to the National Weather Service, snow will likely hit the mountain passes in the coming days.

Temperatures will lose steam into Sunday, as a cold front skirts inland.

“A large Pacific storm system will continue to move into the northwestern U.S. over the next couple of days, bringing colder temperatures and much needed rain/mountain snow to the region,” NWS wrote in its national forecast report.

The rain in Western Washington and Oregon will be “ongoing.”

The detailed forecast for each day from Saturday to next Friday, as November says hello:

Rain. Rain. Rain before 11 a.m. — chance of precipitation 100% on Sunday in the greater Seattle area. Showers and possible thunderstorm Sunday night. Monday equals showers. Tuesday has a 50% chance of showers. Wednesday will likely see rain after mid-morning. Thursday — rain. Friday — also rain.

The humidity is also a touch higher at the moment, hovering near 90%.

Meanwhile, the thermometer is forecasted to dip into the 40s at night over the next seven days, with highs barely topping 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

The chill has an added benefit for the region, as the colder air “will allow for a changeover to snow for the higher elevations of the Olympics [and] Cascades into the northern Rockies,” NWS said Saturday afternoon.

NWS Seattle shared a photo Thursday morning from the webcams at Mt. Rainier National Park. “Beautiful view of Paradise at Mt. Rainier this morning with a light layer of snow!

This story was originally published October 26, 2024 at 2:16 PM.