More snow headed to Western Washington: Here’s how much, when to expect it

Western Washington is in for more snow.

The weather system that blanketed the region over the weekend moved out of the area Tuesday morning, but the National Weather Service in Seattle said another snowy system will arrive Wednesday evening.

“A weather disturbance will drop down from the north/northwest tonight and Thursday, bringing another shot of lowland snow,” the weather service said in its Wednesday forecast discussion. “Precipitation will spread into the area after midnight, then decrease from the northwest Thursday afternoon.”

Just how much snow the region will see is unclear. Meteorologists expect amounts between 1 and 3 inches but said as much as 5 inches is possible. Most of the snow will come in the early morning hours of Thursday, the weather service said.

Areas to the north and south of Seattle will bear the brunt, with 2 to 3 inches expected in Bellingham and Olympia. Everett and Tacoma should see between 1 and 2 inches, while Seattle proper will likely see less than an inch.

Warmer daytime temperatures are expected for parts of the region on Thursday. Highs along the coast could reach into the low 40s, while much of the interior could see highs in the mid-30s. That means precipitation from the incoming system should switch to rain along the coast, while those living in the interior should see a rain-snow mixture by late Thursday morning.

That system should move on Thursday evening, and will be followed by another very weak system Friday that meteorologists say likely won’t be much of anything. The weather service said daytime highs for Friday will be in the mid-30s.

 Nighttime temperatures over the next few days will remain in the upper teens and 20s, which means any snow that melts during the day will likely turn to ice in the evening.

Warmer, weak fronts will move into the area over the weekend. The weather service expects light snow Saturday morning, but warmer temperatures should turn any precipitation to rain through Sunday.