Stormy, Gusty Weekend To Continue Sunday Before Calmer Work Week

SEATTLE — Saturday started with sunnier skies than some models had predicted, but the sunshine was ultimately short-lived as storms rolled in for the early afternoon.

Those clouds brought in heavy rainfall, gusts of wind up to 30 mph, and even a few scattered lightning strikes. Rain totals are still being tabulated, but the National Weather Service says at one point the storm dropped a quarter of an inch of rain in under 40 minutes.

Up at Mount Rainier and in the Cascades, that rain has turned into snowfall— meteorologists say to expect to see some snow-capped mountains when the skies clear.

If Saturday wasn't wild enough, forecasters say to expect more of the same Sunday. According to the latest models from the National Weather Service, Puget Sound will see showers all day, accompanied by breezy conditions. The air mass over Western Washington will remain unstable, meaning we could see more lightning strikes or thunderstorms through the day. Right now, the NWS says strikes are particularly likely Sunday afternoon and evening, and expect a convergence zone centering over King/Snohomish county line north of Seattle.

Meanwhile, more snow will pile up in the mountains.

If you're missing sunny skies, you won't have to wait much longer for the weather to clear out. By the time Monday rolls around, forecasters say a drier and warmer weather pattern will have taken root, and will stay put through at least the midweek.