Will It Snow In Gig Harbor? Here's Your Winter Weather Forecast

GIG HARBOR, WA — Winter weather is coming to Western Washington, and it's coming fast.

As the National Weather Service explains, a weak weather system is moving out of the region overnight Thursday and Friday morning — after that, it'll be replaced by a forecast containing freezing fog, and even a chance for snow in the lowlands.

Before any potential snow, however, first comes the cold. Friday and Saturday will be largely dry and chilly, with freezing temperatures joined by patchy freezing fog in the overnight hours and early a.m. During that time, the NWS says to keep any pets and sensitive plants indoors.

Saturday night is when things will really start to get wild, as forecasters predict a new system will begin bringing a mix of rain and snow to the lowlands. And once it's here, it'll be here for a while. Meteorologists say lowland snow is possible all the way through Thursday, after which temperatures will warm up and any snow will give way to rain.

Drier weather returns Friday through Saturday. A weather system will move through Sat night into Sunday night. Lower snow levels are expected with this system (mainly above 500 ft.) for the potential for lower elevation snow in areas. Monitor the forecasts through the week! #WAwx pic.twitter.com/w0T4H8sjZy
— NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) January 21, 2021

As expected, snow will be more likely in the hillsides: forecasters say most of the snow would be between 500-1000 feet above sea level. Anywhere below that is more likely to see a mix of both rain and snow over the coming few days. The NWS says most of the Puget Sound will likely see under an inch of snow total, though there is a small chance the interior could see over two inches.

Gig Harbor in particular is unlikely to see snow Saturday or Sunday, but the chance for a mix of rain and snow becomes more likely Tuesday through Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Seattle weather blog is forecasting about an inch of snow north of the emerald city.

Latest UW snow forecast paints a dusting to an inch of SNOW from about Seattle northward on Sunday AM. I suspect this is overdone a bit, but non-sticking snow is looking increasingly possible. pic.twitter.com/9fvOnVtK2g
— Seattle Weather Blog (@KSeattleWeather) January 21, 2021

While the snow likely won't be sticking around, it does make the roads significantly more hazardous. That's why the Washington State Department of Transportation is asking everyone to get prepared ahead of time — which means stocking your car with all the supplies you might need if you get stuck, like a blanket, water, gloves, tire chains and ice scrapers. WSDOT is also reminding drivers to drive for the weather, slow down and leave extra space between your car and other vehicles.

Possible lowland snow as early as Sunday? While it's always tough to predict snow around here, you can control whether you're prepared --> https://t.co/NTaPatpe7q pic.twitter.com/98Ea0i2gSI
— WSDOT Tacoma (@wsdot_tacoma) January 21, 2021

Here's a look at the 5-day outlook for Gig Harbor:

Friday: 45°/30° (Sunny)
Saturday: 43°/38° (Mostly sunny)
Sunday: 44°/36° (Rain)
Monday: 43°/33° (Chance rain)
Tuesday: 42°/32° (Chance of rain and snow)