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Snow? Probably yes, for most of western Washington

A vision of things to come ...
Adam DeClercq
/
Flickr
A vision of things to come ...

But not too much. 

"It's not going to be the big snow-storm," says KPLU weather expert, and UW professor, Cliff Mass.

The areas most likely to get a couple inches of snow are the so-called "convergence zone," between north Seattle and Everett, and in the Bellingham area. For everyone else, Mass says it will be "hit and miss" depending on so many factors that it's hard to generalize.

"Some people will get no snow, some people who are right next to the water might even get a lttle light rain, but I think many people listening to us will see some snow," he says.

Combined with some icy conditions here and there, Mass says it's a good time to make sure you have your winter kit ready.

Plus, a big wet storm is heading our way for Tuesday. It will bring warmer and heavier rain -- which is likely to produce some flooding in western Washington.

Snow forecasting, it turns out, is really difficult around Puget Sound, as Mass describes on his blog,

"To be cold AND wet is not easy and requires very specific conditions that are relatively rare.”

The weekly KPLU feature "Weather with Cliff Mass" airs every Friday at 9 a.m. immediately following BirdNote, and repeats twice on Friday afternoons during All Things Considered. The feature is hosted by KPLU’s Health and Science reporter Keith Seinfeld. Cliff Mass is a University of Washington Professor of Atmospheric Sciences and renowned Seattle weather prognosticator. You can also subscribe to a podcast of this and previous "Weather with Cliff Mass" shows.

Keith Seinfeld is a former KNKX/KPLU reporter who covered health, science and the environment over his 17 years with the station. He also served as assistant news director. Prior to KLPU, he was a staff reporter at The Seattle Times and The News Tribune in Tacoma and a freelance writer-producer. His work has been honored by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the Knight Science Journalism Fellowships at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.