Winter is making a late-season return to Western Washington as an atmospheric river moves into the region Wednesday night through Thursday, bringing heavy mountain snow, strong winds up to 55 mph, and the potential for power outages across Puget Sound.
Western Washington has already seen a return to wintry conditions over the past few days, including brief lowland snow in the North Sound on Tuesday morning. The Cascades are covered in fresh snow, with nearly 3 feet reported at Stevens Pass in the past 48 hours. An extended plume of moisture, known as an atmospheric river, is expected to move into the Northwest tonight through Thursday. This is not a Pineapple Express-style system, as it is oriented straight across the Pacific rather than tapping into warmer air near Hawaii. That means steady precipitation, but snow levels should remain near pass level instead of rising significantly.
