by Forecasts call for heavy snowfall at Snoqualmie Pass this weekend, with light accumulations also possible in the Seattle area starting next Tuesday.
Most of the area at the pass will be dry to start Saturday with some sun. High clouds gather fairly quickly ahead of a stronger weather system.
This brings increasing rain and mountain snow throughout Sunday from Saturday evening, which only decreases on Sunday evening. Expect a very poor pass trip and folks heading to the Apple Cup should be aware that it could indeed be very difficult to get back from the Pullman on Saturday night or all of Sunday.
Pullman has not hosted the rivalry game since 2018. Therefore, WSDOT anticipates pre-pandemic traffic levels on US-26.
KIRO 7’s Lauren Donovan spoke to a number of football fans who said the looming prognosis has motivated them to take to the streets on Friday afternoon rather than Saturday morning.
“We thought because it’s such a late game, maybe we’ll go tomorrow,” said WSU grad Emma Robins. “But you can never really predict what the pass will do.”
>>Download the KIRO 7 weather app to track the mountain storm
Expect 8 to 18 inches of snowfall in the passes Saturday night through Sunday night with isolated higher totals. More than half an inch of rain will fall in the flatlands and breezes could exceed 30 miles per hour on Sunday.
Colder air is coming Sunday night as the precipitation tails off, but snow depth will drop below 1,000 feet, meaning we could have snowflakes in some foothills or higher hills through Sunday night and early Monday morning. However, I don’t expect any significant difficulties with flat country travel until Monday morning.
Monday itself will be mainly dry with some sun and highs in the 40’s. It now looks like we will be through most of Tuesday without precipitation but temperatures will be quite chilly with lows below freezing and highs near 40 on Tuesday.
Heads up! Rain will give way to a few inches of snow on the passes today and tonight. Then 8-18 inches of snow could fall on the passes and higher tomorrow night through early Monday morning. Traveling on Sunday could become a real problem. Plan ahead and be careful! #NickKnows #wawx pic.twitter.com/uJvNsVmPfX
— Nick Allard (@NickAllardKIRO7) November 25, 2022
Chance of lowland snow
Rainfall is expected to arrive Tuesday night through Wednesday, with a high-altitude low-pressure valley falling south from western British Columbia. How much moisture is available with this system is unclear, but it will be cold enough for some lowland snow, particularly Tuesday night through Wednesday above about 200-300 feet elevation.
>>KIRO 7 PinPoint 7 Day Forecast
We will update this forecast as we get closer, but some light accumulation during this time frame in lowland areas appears likely, particularly above 200-300 feet elevation.
There are signs of even colder air entering the region next Thursday and Friday, potentially lasting for several days. If successful – and it is not a certainty – high temperatures can be barely above freezing on some days and nights well below freezing.
It will be something to watch out for as it would be the coldest air of the season so far – if it occurs. However, if it gets that cold, it could be too dry for precipitation.
Again, the details will come into better focus over the coming days and the longer-term forecast is potentially subject to significant changes, so stay tuned.
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