The answer to that question is always complicated, and this situation is no different.

Before any snow event, usually meteorologists discuss the possibilities in great detail with other meteorologists from the area to get more than one opinion. I am no different. I discussed this upcoming snow chance with fellow forecaster Mattias Keese of Bainbridge Island and he has included his forecast for the upcoming snow scenario:

I do not expect snow for most of Kitsap. North Kitsap could be an exception, but Central Kitsap/Bainbridge will not see sticking snow…my reasoning is… [we switch] to [northwest] flow and we are still shadowed and most of the precip is to our South. Kitsap is just the worst spot for snow in this situation.

This explains our situation well. Most of Kitsap will be shadowed, but a convergence zone could be generous in the late morning to drop a dusting to an inch of snow from North Kitsap as far south as Central Kitsap. One thing is certain: this is not looking like a big snow event by any means, and though tomorrow will serve as a reminder that winter is still here, it will also remind us it is loosing strength.

So, overall expect an icy commute tomorrow whether we have snow or not as lows will be in the upper 20s and lower 30s. As the day progresses we’ll see sunbreaks and periods of rain with some snowflakes mixed in, and in the heavier showers we could see some plain ol’ snow with minor accumulations. Highs will be in the upper 30s to lower 40s: about 10º below normal.

A cold night with scattered snow showers is in the forecast for Thursday night (no accumulation expected) and Friday looks partly sunny and dry. Highs will still be cold, however, in the low to mid 40s.

Saturday starts out great, but clouds and rain increase in the evening and stick around through early next week. Mid week next week, however, we should clear up a bit, but the showers will still be around.

Stay tuned for weather updates! After all, we live in the Kitsap micro climate!

Matthew Leach

Kitsap Weather

7 DAY FORECAST

There are rumors the Hood Canal area could see some sticking snow late tonight through tomorrow. I am doing more research on this potential, but so far this doesn’t look like a major event, and not everyone on the peninsula will be affected, or at least affected the same way.  

I will be making a separate post about the snow potential this evening as that is when the details will become more clear. Here’s a Special Weather Statement put out by the National Weather Service early this morning:

…LOCAL SNOW SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED OVER THE WESTERN WASHINGTON
LOWLANDS LATE TONIGHT AND THURSDAY…

A COOLER AIR MASS WILL MOVE INTO WESTERN WASHINGTON TONIGHT…AND
IT WILL BE COLD ENOUGH FOR SHOWERS TO FALL LOCALLY AS SNOW OR
RAIN AND SNOW MIXED ACROSS THE WESTERN WASHINGTON LOWLANDS LATE
TONIGHT AND THURSDAY.

WIDESPREAD SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE NOT EXPECTED…AND HIGH
TEMPERATURES THURSDAY WILL REACH THE LOWER TO MID 40S. HOWEVER
SPOTTY ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 OR 2 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE MAINLY IN THE
NORTHWEST INTERIOR…ALONG HOOD CANAL…AND IN THE SOUTHWEST
INTERIOR LATE TONIGHT OR THURSDAY MORNING.