10:43 PM PST on Monday, November 28, 2005

From KING Staff Reports

SEATTLE – It was a frosty night around Western Washington Monday night, with a little snow and chances of more even in the lowlands.

High winds knocked down trees and crews were getting ready. Snow plows were on standby and de-icing trucks were ready to go.

As much as 8 inches of snow could fall overnight, depending on where in the Puget Sound area you happen to be standing when the region’s first big winter storm hits.

Residents in Kitsap County around the Hood Canal stand the best chance of getting the biggest dump, while areas north and south of Seattle will most likely see smaller accumulations.

Several school districts in that area have already made plans to start classes late.

The Seattle metro area may be spared, however, from snow causing serious disruptions, according to KING 5 Meteorologist Jeff Renner.

The flakes started flying as early as 7 p.m., with the greatest amounts expected at higher elevations in the Olympic foothills. In places like Lake Cushman, KING 5 Meteorologist Rich Marriott said 10 inches was not out of the question.

For the foothills above 400-500 feet, more than 2 or 3 miles from Puget Sound or Lake Washington, up to 3 inches is possible. A couple of inches are also possible in the Skagit and Whatcom counties.

KING

On Tuesday commuter can expect milder temperatures with mixed rain snow showers and no snow accumulations.

But the Monday forecast had transportation crews doing everything they could to get ready.

State Department of Transportation officials say with roads spread out over so many micro-climates, it's hard to pick specific areas to watch. But officials know the usual trouble spots: bridges, on ramps, off ramps and overpasses, which tend to ice up first.

Crews for Sound Transit may be coming in as early as midnight if snow starts falling in an effort to keep the tracks and powerlines that supply the trains clear for service Tuesday morning.

In Kitsap County, the Public Works officials expect snow throughout the county, but are focusing mainly on the area around the Hood Canal. Crews will be on duty throughout the night.

In Skagit County, workers were called in early Monday afternoon to put the snow plows on county trucks.

In Pierce County, the concern is for the higher elevation areas. Road crews have been told to come it at 3 a.m. Tuesday just for the potential of a snow event.

Even the City of Seattle, which is not expected to get much accumulation, is getting into preparation mode. Workers have gotten some of the 30 sand and plow trucks ready to go.

It wasn’t just city workers getting ready either.

KING 5 viewer Peter Turcan

Taken from the top of Tiger Mountain, this picture shows Cougar Mountain in the foreground, and the Olympic Mountains including the Brothers in the distance. Thick clouds cover Seattle.

Monday was a busy day at the Arlington Les Schwab

“Everybody’s kind of getting ready for this little snow blast,” said manager Jeff Robinson. “We’ve got all our guys here and we’ve been rolling since early this morning.”

At the Arlington School District, the superintendent and assistant superintendent planned on hitting the road in the early morning hours to assess the hazards for kids waiting for the bus and decide whether to cancel school Tuesday.

Eastern Washington, Oregon

The National Weather Service has also issued a winter storm watch for Spokane , Okanagan and Omak in eastern Washington, in effect starting 7:00 p.m. through early Tuesday morning, according to NWCN Mary Loos meteorologist.

In Oregon, a winter storm warning was also in effect for the Western Columbia Gorge starting at 3 p.m. through early Tuesday as well. The Portland-Vancouver area will get a rain and snow mix with snow showers around the 500-ft. level.

Loos says Oregon drivers headed south through the Siskiyou Mountains to California can expect snow on the roads and messy driving conditions. Drivers were advised to drive with caution and carry chains in the event of bad road conditions.