Precipitation should start out as rain on Saturday, then turn into show showers Sunday and Monday.

Snow levels are predicted to drop as low as 200 feet on Sunday, and up to half an inch of snow (or more) is expected.

The weather should remain cold enough for a few possible snow days next week, but stay tuned as oftentimes conditions change. We’ll update the blog as the white stuff arrives, so get your cameras ready so we can post your snow pics when and if it hits (as a reminder, the email to send photos to is editor@b-townblog.com).

Here’s Friday morning’s warning in all its FULL CAPS glory:

…A COLD FRONT WILL BRING COLDER AIR BEHIND IT SATURDAY AFTERNOON FOR A CHANCE OF LOWLAND SNOW SHOWERS SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY… …A SERIES OF ACTIVE STORM SYSTEMS NEXT WEEK WILL BRING PERIODS OF WINTER WEATHER TO WESTERN WASHINGTON…

A COLD FRONT WILL CROSS WESTERN WASHINGTON SATURDAY MORNING…DRAGGING THE COLD AIR MASS BEHIND IT ACROSS THE AREA SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING…WHICH WILL LINGER INTO NEXT WEEK. THE AIR MASS IS EXPECTED TO BE COLD ENOUGH SO THAT SNOW LEVELS WILL LOWER BELOW 500 FEET BEGINNING SATURDAY EVENING. SCATTERED RAIN OR SNOW SHOWERS WILL DEVELOP SATURDAY AFTERNOON…BECOMING MORE PREDOMINANTLY SNOW SHOWERS SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY. THESE HIT AND MISS SHOWERS WILL LIKELY PRODUCE SPOTTY SNOW ACCUMULATIONS TWO INCHES OR LESS ACROSS WESTERN WASHINGTON. AREAS WITH MORE PERSISTENT SHOWER ACTIVITY LIKE THE PUGET SOUND CONVERGENCE ZONE COULD HAVE LOCAL HIGHER ACCUMULATIONS.

AT THIS TIME…PREDICTING EXACTLY WHERE AND HOW MUCH SNOW WILL FALL THIS WEEKEND IS DIFFICULT BUT ACCUMULATIONS ARE MOST LIKELY UNDER THE CONVERGENCE ZONE AND WITH HEAVIER SHOWERS.

NEXT WEEK…A SERIES OF STRONGER AND WETTER FRONTAL SYSTEMS WILL MOVE ACROSS THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST…STARTING AROUND TUESDAY. THESE WEATHER SYSTEMS WILL BRING A THREAT OF A VARIETY OF WINTER WEATHER TO WESTERN WASHINGTON. THEY MAY SPREAD SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS RAISING THE POTENTIAL FOR AVALANCHES AND PERIODS OF DIFFICULT TRAVEL ACROSS THE PASSES. THE EXPECTED OVERALL AIR MASS OVER THE REGION THROUGH THIS PERIOD WILL BE COLD ENOUGH THAT THERE WILL CONTINUE TO BE A THREAT FOR PERIODS OF SNOW OVER PARTS OF THE LOWLANDS ESPECIALLY EARLY TO MID WEEK. VARIATIONS IN THE INTENSITY AND TRACK OF THESE SYSTEMS WILL SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECT THE PRECIPITATION TYPE AND AMOUNTS.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER WEATHER SERVICE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE POTENTIAL FOR WINTER WEATHER GOING INTO THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND AND THROUGH MUCH OF NEXT WEEK. STAY TUNED FOR FUTURE STATEMENTS AND FORECASTS FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION.

And here’s the full forecast:

Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 43. Calm wind.

Tonight: Rain after 4am. Low around 37. Calm wind becoming south around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Saturday: Showers, mainly before 10am. High near 41. Southwest wind between 8 and 17 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Saturday Night: Cloudy, with a low around 33. Southwest wind between 9 and 14 mph.

Sunday: A chance of rain and snow showers. Snow level 200 feet. Cloudy, with a high near 39. South southwest wind around 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Sunday Night: A chance of snow showers. Snow level 300 feet. Cloudy, with a low around 32. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

M.L.King Day: A chance of rain and snow showers. Snow level 100 feet. Cloudy, with a high near 39. Chance of precipitation is 40%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

Monday Night: A chance of rain and snow showers. Snow level 300 feet. Cloudy, with a low around 34.

Tuesday: A chance of rain and snow showers. Snow level 300 feet. Cloudy, with a high near 38.

Tuesday Night: A chance of showers. Cloudy, with a low around 33.

Wednesday: A chance of showers. Cloudy, with a high near 40.

Wednesday Night: A chance of showers. Cloudy, with a low around 34.

Thursday: A chance of showers. Cloudy, with a high near 40.

The National Weather Service issued another “Special Weather Statement” Thursday morning (Feb. 17th) that predicts that we’ll see a mix of rain and snow down to sea level through Friday.

However, “the air mass is cold enough aloft to support snow to the surface during heavier showers,” say the weather wonks, so be careful out there.

One way to monitor the weather is via the use of our collection of Webcams – scroll down. To see the latest image, be sure to refresh the page.

Here’s the latest statement in its entirety:

Statement as of 5:21 AM PST on February 17, 2011

… Snow level temporarily lowering to sea level during heavy showers through Friday…

Scattered showers will continue to feature a mix of rain and snow down to sea level through Friday across western Washington. Despite maximum temperatures climbing into to the lower to mid 40s Thursday and Friday… the air mass is cold enough aloft to support snow to the surface during heavier showers.

From later Thursday morning through midday Friday… the best chances for accumulating snows will be along the north and central Washington coast… especially higher hills and a bit inland… where shower activity will be the most pronounced. A drier pattern will start to take effect later Friday and continue at least through the first half of the weekend.

While the threat for lowland snow accumulations is low… motorists should be prepared for short bursts of winter weather during this time period.

WEBCAMS:

Wag the Dog Dogcam #2:

The National Weather Service released a “Special Weather Statement” Saturday afternoon (Jan. 29), warning that “a brief period of light snow is possible” starting late tonight or Sunday morning.

Apparently a cold front is moving down, and it may collide with some precipitation, with ‘may’ being the key word here.

No significant snowfall is expected though, so don’t get too excited. The risk of snow will taper off by Sunday afternoon.

Here’s the statement in its entirety:

Statement as of 5:02 PM PST on January 29, 2011

… A brief period of light snow is possible across the interior lowlands late tonight or Sunday morning…

A modified Arctic front will move into the north interior later tonight and then sweep across the rest of the area on Sunday. The colder air associated with this front will arrive about the same time the precipitation will be tapering off. Thus there may be a brief period of snow or mixed rain and snow before the precipitation comes to an end.

Any snow that falls should be light… therefore significant accumulation appeared unlikely. At the most… expect only a dusting. Also… temperatures at most places will be a little too warm for the snow to stick. The exceptions will be the eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca and the east Puget Sound lowlands where locally up to an inch is possible.

The risk of snow will come to an end across The Lowlands by Sunday afternoon.

UPDATE TUES. 1/11/11 1pm: The National Weather Service is sticking to their prediction for today’s impending snowstorm, saying that 1 to 4-inches of snow is probable, starting in the late afternoon, then turning to rain after midnight.

“One to three inches of snow likely. Locally heavier accumulations are possible near the Cascade foothills … snow will begin late this afternoon and change to rain after midnight,” reads the statement.

University of Washington Meteorologist Cliff Mass thinks the snow will arrive a bit later:

“The latest high-resolution run shows light snow hitting Seattle between 5 and 6 PM and perhaps could hold out until 10 PM before it turns to rain. Could be some freezing rain at the tail end.”

Here’s the most-recent Weather Service statement in its entirety:

Statement as of 10:59 AM PST on January 11, 2011

A Winter Weather Advisory for the San Juan Islands… western Skagit County… Admiralty Inlet… Everett and vicinity… east Puget Sound lowlands… Seattle Bremerton area… Tacoma area and Strait of Juan de Fuca remains in effect from 4 PM this afternoon to 4 am PST Wednesday.

* Accumulations… one to three inches of snow likely. Locally heavier accumulations are possible near the Cascade foothills.

* Timing… snow will begin late this afternoon and change to rain after midnight.

* Impacts… expect winter weather travel conditions.

* Major impact… snow is likely to start falling during the afternoon commute period. People should seriously consider finishing their afternoon commute early today if at all possible.

* Freezing rain… there is a possibility of brief freezing rain during the change from snow to rain. Freezing rain is even worse for motorists than snow.

Precautionary/preparedness actions…

A Winter Weather Advisory means that periods of snow… sleet… or freezing rain will cause travel difficulties. Be prepared for slippery roads and limited visibilities… and use caution while driving.

To help you monitor what the roads are like in the area, here are several live webcams:

Seahurst Park Underwater Webcam:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Wag the Dog Dogcam #2:

The National Weather Service released another “Special Weather Statement” (not as strong as an Advisory) on Saturday, warning us all that, in addition to the possibility of cold and snow this weekend, another “significant weather system” may move in Monday, bringing with it another surge of cold air from the north.

“Most of the computer simulations of the weather through Monday and Tuesday keep snowfall to the south of the area,” reads the statement. “…mostly over Oregon…but there is a chance that accumulating snow could develop over western Washington on Monday.”

Here’s the entire statement, which was released at 12:35pm on Saturday, Nov. 20th:

… Cold and windy Monday with another surge of Canadian air…

The first round of cool air has arrived… but another colder surge of Canadian air is expected Monday and Tuesday. The region will see scattered light snow showers or flurries through Sunday night… but a more significant weather system is possible on Monday.

This second surge of colder air on Monday will be accompanied by another blast of cold Fraser River outflow… but this time it is likely that the cold air will sweep south throughout western Washington. Most of the computer simulations of the weather through Monday and Tuesday keep snowfall to the south of the area… mostly over Oregon… but there is a chance that accumulating snow could develop over western Washington on Monday.

The forecast now is for 1 to 3 inches of snow to fall on Monday south of Olympia. People in southwest Washington may encounter winter driving conditions on Monday.

The most likely scenario now is this next cold upper trough sweeps through the area quickly… limiting snow to only the southernmost portion of the state. Stay tuned for updated forecasts as conditions change.

We’ll continue to monitor all weather reports, so check back often for the latest.

The National Weather Service released another “Special Weather Statement” late Monday (Nov. 15th) that hints that yes, there may still be a cold front moving in to the northwest this coming weekend.

As most people know, it’s incredibly hard to predict with accuracy the weather this far out from the weekend; Meteorologist Cliff Mass posted this on his blog Tuesday:

Bottom line: forget lowland snow this weekend but lots of snow in the mountains this week. Strong NE winds will blow through the Fraser Valley into Bellingham and NW Washington and colder air will spread over the region on Sunday and Monday. Clear evidence of the classic La Nina pattern. Maybe snow on late Monday or Tuesday, but too early to be sure. At this point, the Mayor can keep his snowplows in the garage and Jim Forman of KING TV can get his famous parka dry cleaned this weekend. And there will be loads of active and interesting weather during the next week!

Now here’s the text of the National Weather Service’s statement:

Special Weather Statement as of 4:13 PM PST on November 15, 2010

… A change to colder conditions is possible later Friday or Saturday into early next week…

Cold air is expected to develop over western Canada Thursday or Friday. While weather guidance continues to show quite a bit of variability… indications remain that changes in the wind flow aloft on Friday or Saturday will allow some of this colder air to our north to filter into western Washington.

Weather guidance also suggests that there is some risk of lowland snow… or mixed rain and snow showers over portions of western Washington this weekend. Later Friday or Friday night the highest risk of lowland snow will be where the air is colder… over the north interior. Farther south… the cold air will take longer to move into the area… perhaps Saturday or Saturday night and it remains unclear at this point whether there will be sufficient moisture in place by the time the cold air filters in.

Now would be a good time to think about how you could prepare for the first possibility of winter weather conditions in The Lowlands. Are your tires ready for snow covered roadways? Are your outdoor pipes and faucets winterized?

Please monitor latest forecasts and weather statements as conditions evolve this week.

As usual, stay tuned to The B-Town Blog for the latest developments.

The National Weather Service issued a “Special Weather Statement” at 4:30pm Thursday (Nov. 12th), warning of a “vigorous cold front” hitting the area Friday morning, bringing rain, wind and snow to the mountains.

Could this be the first breath of ol’ man winter?

Here’s the statement:

… Active weather day expected Friday…

A vigorous cold front will pass southeast across western Washington Friday morning… bringing Rain… Mountain snows… locally windy conditions and possibly snow showers to parts of The Lowlands.

South winds in advance of the front will increase late tonight into early Friday morning… mainly along the coast and parts of the northwest interior including the Admiralty Inlet region. Wind speeds in those areas are expected to reach 20 to 30 mph with a few gusts to 45 mph… mainly in and around the Island County area. After the front passes… winds will become west to southwest down the Strait of Juan de Fuca and across the northwest interior before diminishing through the afternoon. While below Wind Advisory criteria… wind of this strength could blow down a few tree limbs here and there with isolated power outages.

Colder air will surge in behind the front and lower already low snow levels across the region. During the morning hours ahead of the front the snow level will be around 1500 to 2000 feet. The snow level will then gradually drop through the day to around 500 feet by evening. This means some of the highest hills around the region could see a few snow showers late Friday into Friday evening. However… outside of the mountains or the immediate Cascade foothills… little to no snow accumulation is expected.

Dry and tranquil weather will return to the region late Friday night into Saturday.

The National Weather Service issued a “Special Weather Statement” late Thursday afternoon (July 23rd) warning about a heat wave that will begin this weekend and last into next week, with projected highs in the 85-95 degree range.

Here’s the official warning:

… Hot weather beginning this weekend and lasting into next week…

The hottest weather of the year is likely to occur this weekend and early next week. High temperatures will be in the 85 to 95 range. Overnight lows will be in the 60s. All areas of western Washington could be affected.

The first really hot day will be Saturday or Sunday. The hottest days look like Sunday through Tuesday. At this time models predict the hot weather could last into Thursday or beyond.

Unlike many previous hot spells… this one could also affect the coast and other places near the water. Also it is rare to have many hot days in a row in western Washington… but this heat wave could last several days.

Western Washington is having a dry Summer… and no rain is in the forecast for the next week or so. Fire danger will increase during the hot weather. There is also a risk of air stagnation during this period.

The National Weather Service will issue more statements about this event over the coming days.

And according to meteorologist Cliff Mass:

“I took a look at the long-range forecasts and was shocked.

The temperature climbs through the weekend…into the lower 90s on Sunday and mid 90s at least on Monday and Tuesday.

Too far out to be sure now….but be ready for real heat.”

BTW, Cliff also adds that:

“2009 is the driest 20 May-19 Jul period on record using the combined SeaTac/downtown observations”

So…have a great weekend, but stay cool, slathered up, and be sure to check in on elderly neighbors/relatives and drink plenty of water!