Video: Big storm headed toward Northwest

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SEATTLE - Brace yourself. Blustery weather is coming our way. Strong winds and frigid temperatures are expected in Western Washington. The winds could knock out power.

Forecasters say a storm will blow through the Northwest Friday with rain in Western Washington and snow in the Olympics, Cascades and northeast mountains.

The National Weather Service says it will be followed by frigid temperatures that bring the chance of weekend snow showers in parts of Western Washington. Temperatures in Eastern Washington could fall to zero.

While the snow forecast is good news for ski resorts, state and city transportation departments are preparing de-icing trucks and plows.

KING 5 Meteorologist Rich Marriott says the cold front will spread moderate to heavy rain over Western Washington during the day on Friday, with heavy snow in the mountains.

KING

The Puget Sound area could get some snow this weekend.

“Rain showers will turn to rain or snow showers later Friday night with gusty northwesterly winds, especially north of Seattle,” said Marriott.

The mountains of northeast Washington and along the crest of the Cascades could accumulate 18 to 30 inches of snow between Friday and Saturday.

Marriott says on Saturday, skies will begin to clear, but there will be some rain or snow in the morning, especially in the Puget Sound Convergence zone and in northern King and southern Snohomish counties.

Drier, cold air moving out of the interior of British Columbia will move in, decreasing the showers and bringing gusty winds to Whatcom, Skagit and San Juan Counties Saturday afternoon on through Monday.

The colder air will bring sunshine, but drop daytime highs in the northern counties into the 20s with lows in the low teens.

“This combined with wind chill will make it feel like temperatures near 0 at times Saturday night on through Monday,” said Marriott.

Lake effect snow will be possible along the northern portions of the Olympic and Kitsap Peninsulas through Monday.

"The very cold dry air will move across the warm Strait of Juan de Fuca and pick up moisture and as it lifts over the Olympics it will fall as snow," said Marriott.

Officials remind residents to keep their generators outside to prevent the carbon monoxide poisoning we've seen in previous years.

Mountain pass closures

This weekend's forecast, which calls for up to 3 feet of snow, high winds and colder temperatures in the central and southern Cascade Mountains, has prompted the Washington State Department of Transportation to temporarily close Chinook Pass and Cayuse Pass at noon on Thursday.

The gates at Morse Creek on SR 410 (5 miles east of the summit) and the gates on SR 410 at Crystal Mountain Boulevard (8 miles northwest of the summit) will close temporarily.

Additionally, SR 123 (Cayuse Pass) within Mount Rainier National Park will close temporarily from the SR 410 junction to Stevens Canyon Road (5 miles north of the junction of US 12 and SR 123).

"Closing at noon on Thursday will give us time to patrol the pass areas and make sure everyone is safely out of the avalanche zones before the expected snow and wind make that responsibility very challenging," said Les Turnley, WSDOT South Central Region Maintenance Superintendent.

WSDOT Maintenance crews will return on Monday to reassess avalanche conditions and to see if Chinook Pass or Cayuse Pass can be reopened or if they will remain closed for the winter.

N. Cascades Highway to close

This weekend’s forecast for snow, high winds and colder temperatures in the North Cascades and has prompted the Washington State Department of Transportation to temporarily close the North Cascades Highway at 11:59 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 11.

State Route 20 will be closed between milepost 134, seven miles east of Diablo Dam on the west side of 4,855’ Rainy Pass and milepost 171, nine miles west of Mazama on the east side of 5,477’ Washington Pass.

Twisp Maintenance Supervisor Don Becker says crews will check all the parking areas between the two closure gates to make sure everyone is out.

Ira Siebert

Forecasters expect low temperatures in Western Washington by the weekend.

Crews will return on Monday, Dec. 15 to reassess avalanche conditions to see if the highway can be reopened or if it will remain closed for the winter.

Sub-zero temps in E. Wash.

The National Weather Service says depending on where the band of heaviest snow sets up, the potential exists for heavy snowfall accumulation in the valleys of Eastern Washington and North Idaho including the cities of Spokane, Coeur d’ Alene, Sandpoint, Colville and Republic.

The Weather Service says there is the potential for a foot of snow in the valleys and snowfall rates could approach 1 to 2 inches per hour, making travel dangerous, if not impossible.

The arrival of the cold front Saturday night through Sunday will have the potential to cause blowing and drifting snow, especially in the valleys of Northern Idaho and Northeast Washington. The wind chill temperatures could be 10 to 20 degrees below zero.

Coldest weather in 5 years heading to Oregon

Forecasters say some of the coldest weather in the past five years is heading to Oregon for the weekend.

A double blast of cold air is expected to hit Western Oregon on Friday, and again Sunday, with snow all the way down to the Willamette Valley floor on Sunday.

The first cold front is coming from the Bering Sea, bringing heavy snow to the Cascades of Washington and Oregon, as well as the Coast Range.

On Sunday, a second shot of cold air now gathering strength over Hudson Bay in Northern Canada will send the thermometer into the teens in Portland and lower in surrounding areas.

A series of snow, ice and sleet storms dumped snow in the Portland area in January 2004, causing problems for traffic, utilities and emergency crews.

KGW Meteorologist Joe Michaels says the two weather systems will both bring the likelihood of snow in the Portland Metro area.

Michaels said the first weather system would hit Friday night and Saturday, bringing a rain-snow mix of below 1,000 feet, and snow above 1,000 feet. Michaels said computer models indicated snow could stick to the ground as low as 500 feet during this first weather system.

Michales said the second winter weather front, expected to arrive Saturday night and continue into Sunday, was expected to bring sticking snow all the way to the valley floor. Michaels said it was too soon to tell the amount of snowfall.

Winter storm watch, wind watch

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for the south Washington Cascades and the north and central Oregon Cascades from Friday morning through Saturday afternoon.

The snow level will fall to under 2,000 feet by Friday evening. The combination of heavy snow and strong winds will produce near blizzard conditions Friday afternoon and evening. By late afternoon Saturday, 2 to 3 feet of snow is possible.

A high-wind watch is in effect from Friday morning through Friday afternoon for the south Washington coast and the north and central Oregon coast South winds of 30 to 45 mph with gusts to 65 mph are possible along the beaches and headlands. Gusts to 55 mph are also possible in the coastal cities.