Cold Weather Blast To Bring Lowland Rain, Mountain Snow To PNW

SEATTLE — Hope you got out and enjoyed the sunshine on Saturday and Sunday, because it might be a bit before Western Washington sees anything quite that nice again.

Even at the time of writing on Monday afternoon, the weather is still relatively calm and sunny, but that's all set to change overnight Monday and early Tuesday. NOAA forecasters say they expect a quick-hitting weather system to roll in overnight, showering the lowlands with rain and dusting the higher elevations in fresh snow.

In the passes, forecasters say to expect a little under a half of a foot of snow, but there is a small chance a convergence zone could worsen the situation and dump up to 9 inches on the highlands. Some areas of fog may also redevelop overnight.

Come Wednesday and Puget Sound will be hit with a one-two punch: a "reinforcing shot of cold air" will fly in from the coast, the NWS says, bringing with it more precipitation and cooler overall temperatures. The winds will be cold enough that we may see snow levels fall to around 500 feet Wednesday morning. Even if we do see snow or more likely, a rain-snow mix, accumulation would be under an inch or so. The rest of the day should be sunny or mostly clear, though colder than an average spring day.

The cold temperatures are expected to linger through overnight Thursday, meaning we could see some frosted over roadways Thursday morning— commuters will want to make sure they're taking it slow on the roads if that's the case, there have been already been several high-profile crashes on frosty roads the past few months, and Washington State Patrol troopers don't want to see any more.

Friday will something of a breather, with a small chance of mild rain, but rain will return in full force just in time for the weekend: forecasters say to expect rain and clouds Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

On the plus side, when we do finally "spring forward" for Daylight Savings Sunday, the sunset will be pushed back all the way to 7:13 p.m.