The National Weather Service is forecasting for “the coldest temperatures of this winter,” and the possibility of snow starting this Saturday night, Feb. 17.
Meteorologist Cliff Mass adds:

“We are about to enter the coldest period in over a year (since December 2016 at least), with massive snow in the mountains and lowland snow in ‘favored’ areas such as Northwest Washington and the northern slopes of the Olympics. Even Seattle might get a dusting.”

In addition to wrapping your pipes, we encourage all to keep an eye on our Webcam page, as this is a much easy (and warmer) way to watch for changing weather and traffic conditions.
WIND ADVISORY ISSUED:

…WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 7 AM TO 7 PM PST SATURDAY…

The National Weather Service in Seattle has issued a Wind Advisory, which is in effect from 7 AM to 7 PM PST Saturday.

* WIND…South to southwest 20 to 30 mph with gusts around 45 mph.

* SOME AFFECTED LOCATIONS…Shelton, Bremerton, Olympia, Gig Harbor, Tacoma, Federal Way, Seattle, and Bellevue.

* TIMING…Peak winds will occur from late Saturday morning through the afternoon.

* IMPACTS…Scattered power outages and minor tree damage can be expected.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A Wind Advisory means that winds of 35 mph are expected. Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. Use extra caution.

Here’s the 7-day forecast (bold face added for emphasis):

  • Tonight: Rain likely, mainly after 10pm. Cloudy, with a low around 42. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south southwest after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
  • Saturday: Rain. High near 46. Windy, with a southwest wind 18 to 23 mph increasing to 26 to 31 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 43 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
  • Saturday Night: Rain showers likely before 4am, then snow showers likely, possibly mixed with rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 36. Breezy, with a southwest wind 19 to 24 mph becoming east 5 to 10 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 31 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
  • Sunday: Snow showers likely, mainly before 10am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 39. Breezy, with a north northwest wind 20 to 23 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.
  • Sunday Night: A 30 percent chance of snow showers, mainly before 10pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 25. Blustery. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
  • Washington’s Birthday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 39.
  • Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 24.
  • Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 40.
  • Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 26.
  • Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 42.
  • Wednesday Night: A chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 31.
  • Thursday: A chance of rain and snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 43.