4-6 Inches Of Snow Possible Tuesday In Seattle: Forecast

SEATTLE — Puget Sound is poised to transform into a winter wonderland just in time to kick off the season, with a few inches of lowland snow possible Tuesday and Thursday, but milder temperatures and rain are set to return over Christmas.

"[A]dditional weather systems are expected to impact the region through the week, with additional snow expected Tuesday," wrote Madelyn Kristell, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Seattle. "It will be cold through at least Thursday, with a warming trend expected to begin Friday, in addition to a return to a more typical rainy December pattern for the holidays."

NWS Seattle said Tuesday should offer the best chance for the lowlands to pick up anywhere from 1 to 4 inches of snow, with higher totals possible from Seattle northward and along the Cascade foothills. In the mountains, Snoqualmie Pass and Stevens Pass could each see two feet of fresh snow by Tuesday night.

A winter storm warning will be in place across Western Washington through Tuesday evening.

Forecasters warn commutes are likely to be slick for much of the week, with afternoon highs staying below freezing until Friday. The weather looks to be partly sunny for the winter solstice Wednesday, but frigid temperatures are unlikely to allow for much thawing before a potential second round of snow arrives Thursday.

"Moisture returns Thursday night into Friday," Kristell wrote. "That said, precipitation timing and typing is difficult to narrow down at this point. If the cold air doesn`t budge much at the onset of the precipitation, it could very well start off as snow. If the cold air is ushered out sooner, during the transition to a relatively warmer airmass, mixed phased precipitation is certainly possible."

The National Weather Service expects conditions to warm Friday into the holiday weekend, with moderate to heavy rain bringing along the potential for river flooding concerns. More specifics on the timing of the changeover will be shared in the coming days, but early indications are for a soggy Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.