Seattle's white Christmas odds melt away
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Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios
There's bad news for folks hoping for a white Seattle Christmas, but good news for those dying to get on the slopes.
The big picture: White Christmases are rare in Western Washington and this year is unlikely to be an exception with next week's forecast calling for rain.
- It will be typical Seattle-in-winter rain, though, not the atmospheric rivers and storms that pummeled the region for days, bringing deadly floods, evacuations, power outages and blizzard warnings, according to Kayla Mazurkiewicz of the National Weather Service in Seattle.
Driving the news: Christmas is still a bit too far out for meteorological certainty, but high temperatures are expected to land in the mid-40s next week, making it too warm for snow in the Seattle-area lowlands, Mazurkiewicz told Axios.
- If it's snow you're after, you'll need to head to the mountains.
- Snow is already falling there, and Mazurkiewicz said snow levels could briefly spike near 6,000 feet before dropping back to pass level through the weekend.
- A short period of freezing rain is also possible, she said.
By the numbers: The Cascades could see up to 10 inches of new snow Friday, including the resorts at Baker, Stevens, Snoqualmie and Crystal, after a disappointingly slow start to the season, Powder Poobah meteorologist Michael Fagin tells Axios.
- And more is on the way, with another 4 inches Saturday and 4–8 inches on Sunday and Monday possible.
- Snow levels are expected to remain near 2,000 feet through Christmas Eve, said Fagin.
What they're saying: "We're finally getting a rebound after the atmospheric rivers — cold air is settling in, and more snow is on the way, he said.
Yes, but: Getting there could be a problem. Parts of Highway 2 remain shut down, cutting off Stevens Pass, and Highway 410 is closed near Crystal Mountain.
- Even Mount Baker, which could have the best snow, has had road issues due to the earlier deluges.
- Snoqualmie Pass, reachable via I-90, has a clearer path — and can make snow now, which has been difficult during the recent warm spell, according to Fagin.
What we're watching: Many local ski resorts will be making decisions over the next few days based on two key factors: how much snow actually falls — and whether people can safely reach the lifts, Fagin told Axios.
- On Thursday, Crystal Mountain announced it will open with reduced operations Saturday after working with WSDOT on a workaround that allows a limited number of vehicles onto Highway 410.
The bottom line: The lowlands will stay gray and rainy, but winter is finally arriving where it counts for winter sports enthusiasts.