SEATTLE — As Christmas quickly approaches, some might be wondering if western Washington will turn into a winter wonderland this holiday season.
While the holiday is about a week away, the answer isn’t a for sure "no." Climatologically, there is about a 10% chance on average of an inch of snow on the ground at Sea-Tac Airport on Christmas each year, with a greater chance of snow at higher elevations away from Puget Sound.
Most years, it’s clearly not going to snow on Christmas day, but KING 5 Meteorologist Rich Marriott said there seems to be a chance this year.
While nothing is certain, the European and American computer models have been hinting at cooler weather around Christmas day for several weeks, but they weren’t clear if there would be any moisture. However, Marriott said it now looks like there will be some precipitation, but the temperatures will be critical for snow.
There is a chance for a mix of rain and snow showers on Thursday, with snow levels near 1,000 feet.
Marriott said current models are looking a little warmer on Friday with “chilly rain in the lowlands.” However, cooler air is expected to move in on Christmas and Sunday for a chance of a mix of rain and snow showers.
While Christmas is a long way off, and we will fine-tune the forecast as we get closer, at least the answer isn’t a resounding “NO!” for the chance of lowland snow Christmas weekend.
