NWS: Gusty, Snowy Weather Gives Way To Calmer End Of Work Week

WASHINGTON — This week's forecast only continues to get wilder.

The National Weather Service has spent the last week teasing the potential for snow in the lowlands across the Puget Sound region, but only recently have they added an addendum that the snow will likely be joined by blustery winds strong enough to cause scattered power outages.

The forecast as it relates to snow remains unchanged: there is potential for snow overnight Tuesday and into Wednesday morning for much of western Washington, and a few select locations may see snow again overnight Wednesday. The snow will likely be mixed with rain and regardless of where you live it's unlikely you'll see an inch of snow, and the snow is not going to stick.

However, a new wrinkle joined the fray Tuesday as forecasters added an extra dimension to their forecast: the potential for gusty winds along the Cascade Foothills. Forecasters say residents should prepare for the possibility of tree damage and potential power outages throughout the night.

Gusts will be between 20 and 25 mph for Seattle and heading north, while the Tacoma area should be sheltered somewhat, and will see gusts closer to 5 to 10 miles per hour. But the real big ticket winds will be further inland: places like North Bend will see winds between 30 and 35 mph.

Once the wind has passed, meteorologists have one more twist for us: they now predict another weather system will begin moving onto the region starting Friday night, which will likely cause snow in higher elevations through the weekend. Though there's no chance of lowland snows during that time, it is likely that the passes will see between three and six more inches — so anyone headed over the mountains this weekend should come prepared.