Cold, wet week ahead for Seattle area; high, gusty winds Monday night

The National Weather Service has issued a warning of high winds throughout Western Washington starting Monday evening and lasting through the night.

And rain on the Presidents Day holiday could turn to light lowland snow as temperatures drop sharply later this week.

Weather service meteorologist Dustin Guy said any Puget Sound snowfall this week will be minor, merely “a light dusting of snow, at best.”

However, in the mountain passes, rain is expected to turn to heavy snow Tuesday, with a new snow accumulation of 6 to 10 inches possible at Snoqualmie Pass and up to 3 feet possible elsewhere in the mountains.

Steady winds at 20 to 35 mph, with gusts up to 55 mph, are expected in Seattle, Bellevue and Bremerton from 6 p.m. Monday through 6 a.m. Tuesday.

“Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may
result,” the weather service warned.

Guy said north Puget Sound, including Whidbey Island and the eastern part of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, could see higher winds up to 60 mph.

Forecasters recommend residents secure outdoor objects and take extra care when driving, especially high-sided vehicles.

Temperatures in Seattle will drop below freezing by Wednesday night, and daytime high temperatures in the 40s on Monday will drop into the 30s by Wednesday.

The city should see some sunshine again Thursday and Friday, though it will remain cold with a high of 35 degrees on Thursday.

Mountain snow is expected to continue through the week, turning heavy again at the weekend.

“There’ll be a lot of snow in the mountains,” Guy said. “If traveling through the passes, it’ll be rough going.”