Here comes the snow. But will the Seattle area get a dusting or more? - Seattle Times

Will incoming wintry weather bring just a light dusting of snow to Seattle tonight? Or will a northern cold front rolling in this evening blanket the city with a couple of inches?

Weather forecasters still weren’t sure as of 3 p.m. Sunday.

Rain will continue across the city during the day but will likely turn to snow as a shock of cold air moves into the city in late afternoon or early evening.

“It’s still very fluid and a little bit uncertain pattern,” said Matthew Cullen, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Seattle. Snow accumulation could be anywhere from “a trace, a light dusting, to maybe a couple of inches,” he said. “We try to give ranges, especially with snowfall.”

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By midafternoon, heavy rain began mixing with snow flurries as far south as Shoreline. Snow could begin falling in Seattle between 5 and 10 p.m. As the front heads south toward Olympia, rain will likely turn to snow late Sunday and into Monday morning. Expect differing conditions across the region: Some neighborhoods may get snow while others won’t, Cullen said, since hills and proximity to bodies of water can affect snow accumulation.

The bigger concern? The cold weather that will linger in Seattle until at least Wednesday, Cullen said. Temperatures were in the low 40s around 10 a.m. on Sunday but are expected to drop below freezing tonight, Cullen said.

“It will be very, very cold and could be dangerous,” especially for people who work outside, he said. Near downtown, temperatures will hover around 30 degrees into Monday, and there’s a chance of light flurries that day, Cullen said. On Tuesday and Wednesday, he said, temperatures in the city center will stay in the mid-20s. It’s unlikely to snow on those days, he said.

Near Snoqualmie Pass, road crews were preparing for a third day of major snowfall: 8 to 12 inches are expected today, on top of an estimated 41 inches that has fallen over the past 48 hours, according to state transportation officials.

The snow is coming down HARD today. We received 41 inches of snow on 48 hours. Here’s a picture of one of our avalanche crew members measuring the snowpack. pic.twitter.com/5cMDhxloFt

— I-90 Snoqualmie Pass (@SnoqualmiePass) January 12, 2020

Early Sunday, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) tweeted about multiple spinouts near the pass; eastbound Interstate 90 there was shut down around 8 a.m. and reopened before noon.

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Transportation officials said they’re keeping a close eye on the forecast and may spray de-icer made of liquefied salt on state routes and interstate roads. Between King County and the Canadian border, 89 plow trucks and drivers are “ready to hit the road if and when they’re needed,” said Andrea Petrich, a spokesperson for WSDOT.

Along with the snow came hype among skiers and other outdoor athletes, including many who’d awaited the fresh powder after a slow start to the skiing season. The hopes of some were dashed: dozens of people traveling to Crystal Mountain Resort, about 85 miles southeast of Seattle, took to Twitter on Saturday after being turned away when parking lots filled up early in the morning.

Some reported that traffic was backed up for hours, and later that day, resort officials posted a letter apologizing to its guests.

In Seattle, the city’s maintenance crews — people whose job typically includes filling potholes or fixing roads — are prepared to drive the city’s 60 plows, each equipped with “snow-fighting equipment,” said Ethan Bergerson, a spokesperson for Seattle Department of Transportation.

Not every road will be cleared: Narrow roads, steep roads, and roads with speed bumps or roundabouts won’t get any attention. “We’re not Minnesota. We don’t have the number of vehicles and plows to plow every road,” Bergerson said.

Drivers can expect roads on the city’s steepest hills to close; buses will be rerouted to streets that are open and cleared. Hilly roads will stay closed as long as it’s unsafe to drive on them, Bergerson said. For the latest King County transit snow-route information, visit www.metrowinter.com.

Staff reporter Evan Bush contributed to this report.

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Here comes the snow. But will the Seattle area get a dusting or more? - Seattle Times
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