National Weather Service of Seattle has issued a Winter Storm Watch

The following is the winter storm watch from the national weather service.


WWUS46 KSEW 110319
WSWSEW

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
719 PM PST MON JAN 10 2011

WAZ001-503>512-514>517-111330-
/O.EXB.KSEW.WS.A.0001.110111T2100Z-110112T1800Z/
SAN JUAN COUNTY-WESTERN WHATCOM COUNTY-SOUTHWEST INTERIOR-
EAST PUGET SOUND LOWLANDS-WESTERN SKAGIT COUNTY-
EVERETT AND VICINITY-SEATTLE/BREMERTON AREA-TACOMA AREA-
ADMIRALTY INLET AREA-HOOD CANAL AREA-LOWER CHEHALIS VALLEY AREA-
EASTERN STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-WESTERN STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-
NORTH COAST-CENTRAL COAST-
719 PM PST MON JAN 10 2011

...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING FOR THE LOWLAND AREAS OF WESTERN WASHINGTON...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SEATTLE HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WATCH FOR THE LOWLAND AREAS OF WESTERN WASHINGTON...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING.
* ACCUMULATIONS...LATEST MODEL RUNS SHOW ONE TO THREE INCHES OF SNOW ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE SEATTLE METROPOLITAN AREA...THE CENTRAL COAST...AND THE SOUTHWEST INTERIOR TUESDAY EVENING. HEAVIER AMOUNTS...SIX TO NINE INCHES...ARE LIKELY ALONG HOOD CANAL. HEAVIER AMOUNTS ARE ALSO LIKELY IN THE NORTHWEST INTERIOR...THREE TO FIVE INCHES...AND THE STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA AREA...ONE TO FIVE INCHES WITH THE HEAVIER AMOUNTS OVER THE WEST PART. THE NORTH COAST COULD ALSO GET THREE TO FIVE INCHES.
* TIMING...SNOW WILL BEGIN ON THE COAST AND SOUTHWEST INTERIOR TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND CHANGE TO RAIN TUESDAY EVENING. SNOW WILL BEGIN IN THE SEATTLE AREA AND THE STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA AREA LATE TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND CHANGE TO RAIN AFTER MIDNIGHT. SNOW WILL BEGIN IN THE HOOD CANAL AREA AND THE NORTHWEST INTERIOR LATE TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND PERSIST INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING.
* IMPACTS...WINTER STORM AMOUNTS ARE FORECAST FOR THE HOOD CANAL AREA...THE NORTHWEST INTERIOR...THE WESTERN STRAIT AREA...AND THE NORTH COAST. TRAVEL WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPEDED IN THOSE AREAS. LESS SNOW...ONE TO THREE INCHES...IS FORECAST FOR OTHER AREAS INCLUDING THE SEATTLE METROPOLITAN AREA.
* MAJOR IMPACT...SNOW IS LIKELY TO START FALLING RIGHT DURING THE TUESDAY AFTERNOON COMMUTE PERIOD IN THE SEATTLE METROPOLITAN AREA. IF THIS STILL APPEARS TO BE LIKELY ON TUESDAY...PEOPLE SHOULD SERIOUSLY CONSIDER FINISHING THEIR AFTERNOON COMMUTE EARLY ON TUESDAY IF AT ALL POSSIBLE.
* FREEZING RAIN...THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF FREEZING RAIN DURING THE CHANGE FROM SNOW TO RAIN. FREEZING RAIN IS EVEN WORSE FOR DRIVERS THAN SNOW.
* THIS DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE THE MAJOR PROLONGED SNOWFALL EVENT THAT MODELS WERE PREDICTING SEVERAL DAYS AGO. AMOUNTS ARE LESS AND THE SNOW WILL CHANGE TO RAIN OVER ALL AREAS BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. HOWEVER EXPERIENCE SHOWS THAT EVEN LOWER AMOUNTS OF SNOW CAN CAUSE SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS ON HIGHWAYS AND STREETS.
* UNCERTAINTY...AS WITH ALL LOWLAND SNOW EVENTS IN WESTERN WASHINGTON...THE LOCATION AND AMOUNT OF HEAVY SNOW IS HIGHLY UNCERTAIN. HOWEVER IT DOES SEEM VERY LIKELY THERE WILL BE AT LEAST SOME SNOW EVERYWHERE...AND CERTAIN LOCATIONS INCLUDING HOOD CANAL AND THE NORTHWEST INTERIOR WILL PROBABLY GET THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE WINTER WEATHER.
&&
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WAZ513-518-519-111330- /O.CON.KSEW.WS.A.0001.110112T0200Z-110113T0000Z/ OLYMPICS-WEST SLOPES NORTHERN CASCADES AND PASSES- WEST SLOPES CENTRAL CASCADES AND PASSES- 719 PM PST MON JAN 10 2011

...WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON FOR THE CASCADES AND OLYMPICS...
A WINTER STORM WATCH FOR THE CASCADES AND OLYMPICS REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.
* ACCUMULATIONS...ONE TO TWO FEET OF NEW SNOW IS POSSIBLE TUESDAY EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. THE SNOW LEVEL WILL RISE TO AROUND 4000 FT ON WEDNESDAY BUT EASTERLY FLOW WILL KEEP PASS TEMPERATURES BELOW FREEZING. THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY OF FREEZING RAIN AT SNOQUALMIE PASS ON WEDNESDAY.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE WINTER WEATHER. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL IN THE WATCH AREA...CARRY AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT...FOOD...WATER...AND BLANKETS IN CASE OF EMERGENCY.
&&
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WWW.WEATHER.GOV/SEATTLE