‘Cool, Wet and Unsettled’ Weather Pattern Brings Spring Snow to Western Washington

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Days after Western Washington had its first 70-degree day of the year, residents woke Monday to find the region drenched in spring slush.

The high pressure system that brought warm temperatures to the region last week was forced out by an incoming “low and sort of trough-y pattern” by Friday, according to Dr. Mary Butlin of the National Weather Service.

“Then this morning, late last night, a low pressure system moved through kind of southern Washington, Northern Oregon, which brought the more widespread precipitation, not just for our area but south, so it was widespread,” Butlin said Monday. “And us being on the northern side of that with the cooler temperatures, especially overnight, some of that (precipitation) was snow.”

That “cool, wet and unsettled weather pattern” is expected to persist in the region this week, according to NWS.

Snow levels were expected to taper off from west to east on Monday and temperatures were predicted to climb into the mid 40s to low 50s across the region for a transition to lowland rain  and mountain snow.

Periods of heavy mountain snow are expected to impact the southern Cascades, including White Pass, according to NWS.

Rain-snow mixes are predicted overnight and during the early morning hours through much of the week, with some light lowland snow accumulation predicted south of Olympia on Wednesday.

Temperatures are expected to remain in the mid 40s to low 50s through much of the week.

For updated local forecasts, visit https://www.weather.gov/sew/.