When will it stop raining in Tacoma area? Is snow in the mountain forecast? Here’s what’s next
If you’re anywhere near outside while reading this story, look up toward the sky — there’s a good chance that rain is falling from it. If it’s not raining, it’s definitely gray and dreary.
That’s simply been the reality for Puget Sound in recent days, and is predicted to continue through this week.
The National Weather Service in Seattle forecasts rain every day for the next week as an unseasonably cold and wet April continues to disappoint those hopeful for warm spring weather. There seems to be no golden ray of hope — or sunshine — in sight.
“We’re just going to be under the influence of a low-level trough,” Dev McMillian, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Seattle, told McClatchy News. “And this is just going to sort of send a series of waves to the area keeping precipitation in the forecast.”
The low-pressure system is off the coast of Washington and Oregon, pushing moisture toward the Evergreen State. This moisture is combined with cold Canadian and Gulf of Alaska air, which is being pulled southward by the same system, McMillian said, and it’s “not in a hurry” to move on.
Rain and… snow?
As of April 16, 4.5 inches of precipitation had already fallen in the south Puget Sound region, blowing away the historical average of 2.18 inches.
Up to another inch of rain could fall in the next couple of days. McMillian said he expects the region to get between half an inch to an inch of precipitation by Wednesday, some of which will fall as snow as you approach the Cascades.
“It looks like the passes from Snoqualmie to Stevens, much of them would be under the influence of precipitation through much of the week,” McMillian said.
Snow levels — the elevation at which rain transitions to snow — will be as low as 2,000 feet throughout the Cascades. While most of south Puget Sound is at an elevation of fewer than 250 feet, Snoqualmie Pass sits at 3,022 feet and Stevens Pass is at 4,061 feet.
Despite the low snow levels, McMillian expects the passes to receive about four inches of snow at most and does not think it will warrant a winter storm advisory or warning.
When will we see the sun again?
With the Pacific Northwest living up to its reputation of gloom and rain, many may wonder when the clouds will part so we can enjoy the outdoors again.
The brutal truth is that there’s no clear answer.
“It looks like some of the models are trying to hint at a brief period of high pressure over the area toward Friday and Saturday,” McMillian said. “So we could maybe see some drier conditions, but it doesn’t look like it’s going to be completely dry. After that, it looks like we could see the evolution of an additional trough.”
An additional trough means another round of stormy weather. And the brief period of high pressure McMillian hints toward may not even provide full relief — the Weather Service forecasts a chance of showers all weekend.
The Climate Prediction Center doesn’t paint much better picture, either. The Center predicts a 40-50% above-average precipitation in Washington until April 27 before trending toward a more normal weather pattern.
This story was originally published April 17, 2023 at 4:38 PM.
