SNOQUALMIE PASS, Wash. — Although winter is still over a month away, a Winter Storm Watch is going into effect this weekend for the North Central and South Central Cascades. There could potentially be over a foot of snow accumulations, complicating mountain pass travel.
Heavy snow is possible above 2,500 feet between late Friday night through Monday evening. There could be between 12 to 24 inches of snow accumulations by early next week.
The cities of Morton, Hamilton, Lyman, Darrington and Concrete are all impacted by the warning.
The National Weather Service (NWS) advised that travel could be "very difficult to impossible" over the mountain passes. Snow levels are expected to rise rapidly on Saturday evening, meaning precipitation could briefly transition to rain on Stevens and Snoqualmie passes before changing back to snow, leading to possible slushy conditions.
The lowlands will be in for widespread, steady rain and gusty winds arriving on Saturday and sticking around all weekend.
The same system bringing snow to the mountains is unleashing a cold front which will drive wind speeds up above 40 miles per hour in many areas, with periods of heavy rain that will pelt the entire region all day Saturday and into Sunday, according to KING 5's Chief Meteorologist Mike Everett.
Another cold front will move into the region on Monday, with continued periods of moderate to heavy precipitation. Snow levels may dip as low as 1,000 feet, with breezy winds expected to linger into Tuesday.
The NWS said there are hints of another system pushing through the region late Tuesday and into Wednesday, bringing more heavy snow in the mountains and rain in the lowlands, however, some uncertainty remains.
King tides begin this weekend
According to SeaGrant Washington, the first king tides of the season will happen this weekend.
The king tide is a nonscientific term used to describe an "exceptionally high tide," according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. These tides typically happen during a new or full moon, when the moon is closest to the Earth.
The earliest king tides are expected along the coast in Westport, La Push, South Bend and Ilwaco between 11:30 a.m. and noon on Friday. They're expected to hit inside the Puget Sound, from Olympia all the way north to Bellingham on Sunday morning.