Brier Weather Station
Latitude N 47° 46' 49" Longitude W 122° 16' 48" Elevation 341 ft
390
FXUS66 KSEW 311741
AFDSEW
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Seattle WA
1041 AM PDT Tue Mar 31 2026
.SYNOPSIS...A dry and cloudy day expected across the area today.
The next frontal system will arrive on Wednesday, bringing
lowland rain, mountain snow, and gusty winds to western
Washington. Showers will linger across the mountains on Thursday
before a drier and warmer pattern sets up over the area Friday
and persists over the weekend.
&&
.SHORT TERM /TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY/...High clouds continue to
stream in overhead this morning under zonal flow aloft.
Conditions will remain dry and cloudy across western Washington
today, with zonal flow expected to turn more southwesterly this
afternoon ahead of the next system arriving on Wednesday.
Afternoon highs will be a couple degrees warmer than Monday and
will top out in the low to mid 50s across majority of the area.
The next frontal system will move across the area on Wednesday,
bringing the next round of lowland rain, mountain snow, and
gusty winds to western Washington. Winds will start to increase
along the coast and the eastern Strait by early Wednesday morning.
The strongest winds are expected to be along the coast and for
areas from Whidbey Island northward, where gusts between 35-45
mph will be possible. Elsewhere, expect winds to be breezy, with
winds gusts ranging between 25-35 mph. Winds will remain elevated
through the morning hours, before easing through the afternoon.
The lowlands will see a steady round of rain spread across the
interior through the morning, with most likely amounts across
the interior ranging from 0.25 inches from more shadowed locations
to 0.50 inches. The coast will see the highest amounts of rain-
roughly half an inch to an inch. Snow levels will start out
below pass level on Wednesday and rise to 4000-4500 ft through
the day, before falling back below pass levels by early Thursday.
At this time, snow accumulations at the passes generally look
to remain between 4-8 inches, with latest probabilistic guidance
only indicating roughly a 10-20 percent chance of snowfall amounts
exceeding 8 inches.
The parent low pressure system will move inland over northern
OR/southern WA on Thursday. Wrap-around moisture from this
system will likely keep light snow shower activity going across
the Cascades, though expect to see showers gradually taper as
the day progresses. Across the lowlands, expect conditions to
dry out and for clouds to scatter for some afternoon sun
breaks. Afternoon high temperatures will be in the mid 50s.
&&
.LONG TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/...Ensembles favor a
warmer, drier trend commencing Friday and persisting through the
weekend as upper level ridging builds into western Washington.
While a weak weather system may attempt to brush the North Coast
on Friday, the building ridge will shift the incoming storm
track northward into British Columbia. This will keep western
Washington dry through the weekend and into early next week.
Temperatures will trend above normal and look to warm a few
degrees each day, with afternoon highs potentially topping out
in the mid to upper 60s by Monday.
14
&&
.AVIATION...
Zonal flow aloft today before turning more southwesterly tonight
into Wednesday morning. Mid-high level clouds have been
streaming in ahead this morning, which limited widespread fog
development. VFR is observed area wide and should remain well
into the day and tonight. Widespread rain will enter early
Wednesday morning with the return of MVFR/IFR cigs. Can`t rule
out isolated instances of LIFR as well. Northerly surface flow
becoming southerly and breezy overnight into Wednesday.
KSEA...VFR conditions with passing high clouds. North surface winds
becoming more southerly after 00z. VFR conditions through Tuesday
night before low clouds increase into early Wednesday morning with
rainfall.
41/Mazurkiewicz
&&
.MARINE...
Surface high pressure today with light winds. A sub 995 mb low
pressure system will start to approach the region Tuesday night-
Wednesday morning with increasing southerlies over much of the
waters. A Gale Watch has been issued for the coastal waters and East
Entrance as hi-res guidance (REFS and HREF) indicate a 50-70% chance
of gusts exceeding 35 kt late Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.
SCA advisory may be needed for other inland water zones during this
time as well.
Broad high pressure will redevelop on Thursday and into the end of
the week, bringing generally benign marine conditions to the waters.
Coastal seas remaining 3 to 5 feet throughout Tuesday. Seas will
then build up to 9 to 11 feet Wednesday morning. Seas will remain
elevated into Thursday before decreasing on Friday and into the
weekend, back down to 3 to 5 feet.
41
&&
.HYDROLOGY...
River flooding is not expected over the next 7 days.
&&
.SEW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WA...None.
PZ...Gale Watch from late tonight through Wednesday morning for
East Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca.
Gale Watch from late tonight through Wednesday morning for
Coastal Waters From Cape Flattery To James Island 10 To
60 Nm-Coastal Waters From Cape Flattery To James Island
Out 10 Nm-Coastal Waters From James Island To Point
Grenville 10 To 60 Nm-Coastal Waters From James Island To
Point Grenville Out 10 Nm-Coastal Waters From Point
Grenville To Cape Shoalwater 10 To 60 Nm-Coastal Waters
From Point Grenville To Cape Shoalwater Out 10 Nm.
&&
$$
NWS SEW Office Area Forecast Discussion