Snow falls across Pierce County as region braces for Arctic blast headed our way
UPDATE 7:30 p.m.: The National Weather Service is now calling for snowfall in the lowlands of Pierce and Thurston Counties beginning 2 a.m. Friday and lasting until 8 a.m. Most areas will see less than one inch of accumulation, the Weather Service said. Areas above 500 feet in elevation could see up to two inches.
Snow made a brief appearance across Pierce County Thursday. The dip below freezing is a sign of what’s to come.
Accumulations melted quickly in the lowlands as falling snow turned back to rain.
The Weather Service was unable to say if more snow will fall in the lowlands through Saturday. It did forecast heavy snow for mountain passes.
High winds were forecast for the coast beginning Thursday night. Gusts could reach 50 miles per hour in the Grays Harbor area. High tides combined with storm waves could mean coastal erosion and flooding.
Although precipitation in the coming days was forecast to be low, flooding is still an issue on the Chehalis and Skomomish rivers. Landslides and mudslides are a danger for already saturated slopes.
Heavy snow in the mountains is predicted next week.
At 1 p.m. Thursday, both Snoqualmie and White passes were clear with no restrictions. Temperatures at the passes were in the high 20s. Drivers should be prepared for inclement weather at any time in the mountains.
Next week, highs might remain below the freezing mark from Sunday night to Jan. 17.
On Sunday night, wet snow could return in the lowlands, the Weather Service said.
Different models have shown varying lengths of the cold period.
“It looks like it’s going to be an extremely cold period next week,” the Weather Service said.
Precipitation coming in from the Pacific Ocean will collide with the cold Arctic air mass headed down from Canada.
“Confidence is high that we will see snow in the lowlands during the week,” the Weather Service said.
This story was originally published January 9, 2020 at 2:15 PM.
