Rainy, milder weather that’s more ‘February-like’ arrives in Tacoma, Olympia areas
Dustings of snow seen in recent weeks in the south Puget Sound lowlands have come to an end, according to the National Weather Service. A storm system that has moved into Western Washington this weekend is bringing rain and warmer temperatures.
Bands of rain moved inland along the coast Saturday, and rain began to fall. The Tacoma and Olympia areas are expected to get between a half-inch and an inch of rain by Monday morning.
But while the lowlands get wet, significant snowfall will continue in the Cascade mountain passes over the weekend with up to a foot of snow forecast to fall by Monday. Dangerous avalanche conditions are also expected to develop.
Snow-covered roads across the mountain passes and travel delays are possible, forecasters said. So expect difficult travel conditions at times and the possibility of temporary pass closures due to incidents.
Forecasters said the storm system bringing this weather is more “February-like.”
Rain is likely to continue in the Tacoma and Olympia areas through the end of next week, bringing much milder temperatures. Forecasters predict highs could reach the mid 50s by next weekend, with lows in the upper 30s to low 40s.
The wet weather may cause water to pool on roadways and cause minor nuisance flooding in poor drainage areas, according to the NWS, potentially creating difficult commute conditions. Area rivers could see some rise in water level, but widespread flooding is not expected.
This story was originally published February 15, 2025 at 10:21 AM.
