Replace your wool hat and gloves with your rain gear. We’re back to warm and wet weather, says KPLU weather expert Cliff Mass.
The rain will settle in Friday and temperatures will rise into the 50s, says Mass, setting the stage for the rest of the weekend.
“The whole weekend will get up to about 50. All the snow and ice in the west are melting, and the rain is back,” Mass said, adding the rain will stay at least into Friday afternoon before things start drying out a bit.
Possible Sunbreaks Saturday Afternoon
But the rain will return overnight and into Saturday morning as another Pacific front sweeps in.
The rain will stay until “around 10 a.m. or noon [Saturday],” said Mass, but then we’ll get a break from the rain.
“We might even see a few sunbreaks,” he said. “So not a bad afternoon.”
Sunday: ‘The Day To Do Things Outside’
“And then it looks like Sunday is going to be the best day,” Mass said. “There’s going to be no front at all, probably partly cloudy and highs in the low 50s ... a really nice day on Sunday, so that’s the day to do things outside.”
Then he says another series of disturbances will come through next week, bringing more rain.
Weekend Road Warriors, Beware Of Icy Passes
Mass says there is still some residual cold air lingering in eastern Washington that’s “sneaking through” the mountain passes. Rain falling from the west into that cold air is causing freezing rain in some areas.
“So if you’re driving through Snoqualmie or Stevens, that’s something you have to worry about,” Mass said. “But that cold air in eastern Washington will dissipate over the next few days,” he said, predicting all the cold air affecting roads will be gone by Saturday morning.
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The weekly KPLU feature "Weather with Cliff Mass" airs every Friday at 9 a.m. immediately following BirdNote, and twice on Friday afternoons during All Things Considered. The feature is hosted by KPLU Environment Reporter Bellamy Pailthorp. Cliff Mass is a University of Washington Professor of Atmospheric Sciences, a renowned Seattle weather prognosticator, and a popular weather blogger. You can also subscribe to a podcast of “Weather with Cliff Mass” shows.
