First significant snow of season expected in Olympics

Published 12:01 am Sunday, October 25, 2009

The first significant snow of the season is expected Monday and Tuesday in the Olympic Mountains.

The snow level is expected to drop to 4,000 feet — which, for example, is more than 1,000 feet lower than Hurricane Ridge.

Here is the latest National Weather Service bulletin, issued today, for the Olympics (and Cascades, as well, in case you’re traveling east):

MOIST NORTHWESTERLY FLOW BEHIND A COLD FRONT WILL BRING HEAVY

SNOW TO THE MOUNTAINS MONDAY AND TUESDAY. THIS WILL BE THE FIRST

SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL OF THE SEASON.

WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY

AFTERNOON…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SEATTLE HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM

WATCH…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY

AFTERNOON.

THE FIRST SIGNIFICANT MOUNTAIN SNOWFALL OF THE SEASON…4 TO 12

INCHES…WILL OCCUR MONDAY INTO TUESDAY. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL

BRING COOLER AIR INTO THE REGION WITH SNOW LEVELS LOWERING TO

AROUND 4000 FEET ACROSS THE OLYMPICS AND NORTH CASCADES BY NOON

MONDAY. THE COLD AIR WILL SPREAD INTO THE CENTRAL CASCADES MONDAY

AFTERNOON. THIS MEANS STEVENS PASS…WHITE PASS…AND WASHINGTON

PASS WILL LIKELY GET SNOW. THE SNOW LEVEL WILL LOWER TO AROUND

3000 FEET MONDAY NIGHT WITH SNOW ALSO POSSIBLE AT SNOQUALMIE PASS.

THE FORECAST CALLS FOR 4 TO 12 INCHES OF SNOW THROUGH TUESDAY

MORNING…WITH HEAVIER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE BETWEEN STEVENS AND

SNOQUALMIE PASS AS A PUGET SOUND CONVERGENCE ZONE DEVELOPS.

SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE INTO TUESDAY…WITH THE SNOW LEVEL

DROPPING EVEN FURTHER.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

IF YOU ARE PLANNING TRAVEL IN OR THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS EARLY NEXT

WEEK…CHECK THE WEATHER FORECAST BEFORE YOU GO.