(WSB photo by Ellen Cedergreen)
Just five days after SDOT invited the media to come see its winter-weather equipment and listen to the readiness plan … there seems to be a slight chance of its deployment within a week. Late today, the National Weather Service issued a “special weather statement” for much of Western Washington, including our area, raising the possibility — however small — of cold weather that could even bring a bit of snow. From the advisory (yes, it’s published in all-caps):
…A CHANGE TO MUCH COLDER CONDITIONS IS POSSIBLE FRIDAY INTO NEXT WEEKEND…
COLD AIR IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER WESTERN CANADA DURING THE UPCOMING WEEK. THERE ARE STRONG INDICATIONS THAT CHANGES IN THE WIND FLOW ALOFT TOWARD THE END OF THE WEEK WILL ALLOW SOME OF THIS COLDER AIR OVER WESTERN CANADA TO FILTER INTO WESTERN WASHINGTON FRIDAY OR SATURDAY.
WEATHER GUIDANCE ALSO SUGGESTS THAT THERE IS A RISK OF SNOW…OR MIXED RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS OVER PORTIONS OF THE AREA FRIDAY OR SATURDAY. THE HIGHEST RISK WILL BE WHERE THE AIR IS COLDER…OVER THE NORTH INTERIOR.
WHILE WEATHER GUIDANCE HAS BEEN CONSISTENT IN SHOWING A CHANGE TO A COLDER WEATHER PATTERN…THEY HAVE BEEN UNEVEN IN SHOWING HOW COLD IT WILL GET AND HOW MUCH…IF ANY…SNOW WILL FALL.
NOW WOULD BE A GOOD TIME TO THINK ABOUT HOW YOU COULD PREPARE FOR THE FIRST POSSIBILITY OF WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS IN THE LOWLANDS.
SDOT’s snow/ice-route maps are online here; here’s the direct link to the West Seattle segment. P.S. No word from famous forecaster Cliff Mass yet, at least as of 5:30 pm; we’ll keep checking.
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