A powerful winter-like storm will bring rain and wind to western Washington on Wednesday. A foot of snow could fall in the Cascades.
"It's something we would be used to seeing in November or December, not necessarily in May," said National Weather Service meteorologist Jeff Michalski.
Tuesday will be partly sunny with a high of 60 degrees in Tacoma. By Wednesday morning, prepare to batten down the hatches.
Wind
The Washington coast will feel the brunt of the storm with sustained winds of 25 miles per hour, and gusts could reach 50 miles per hour on Wednesday, Michalski said.
In southern Puget Sound, winds will blow 8-13 miles per hour with gusts of 33 miles per hour Wednesday.
Residents should prepare for power outages.
Rain
May's soggy stretch of days might have inured residents to Wednesday's storm. Tacoma and Olympia area residents could see 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch of rain by Thursday morning, Michalski said.
For lowlanders, the storm will be relatively warm with highs in the mid 50s and a low of 44 degrees in Tacoma.
Rain will taper off Thursday with Friday and Saturday dry. A slight chance of rain is forecast for Sunday.
Snow
Snow levels in the Cascades could drop to 3,500 feet by Wednesday night.
Paradise at Mount Rainier National Park could see a foot of snow by Thursday morning, Michalski said.
Higher Washington passes like Stevens Pass on U.S. 2 and White Pass on U.S. 12 could be affected by travel restrictions.
