The first cold snap of 2024 should be arriving by Thursday morning – with snow mentioned in the forecast – but first we will get some serious winds, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

Gusts are predicted to be as high as 34mph or more, NWS warns, so batten down the hatches and prepare for possible power outages.

Temps should get low enough starting around Thursday (around 22 degrees) that any precipitation may include snow when a secondary arctic cold front moves southward across Western Washington.

“At this point, the chances for lowland snow have increased slightly with a 40-60% chance for at least 1″ of snow in the Thursday–Saturday timeframe and a 30% chance for 2″ or more,” NWS said.

Take note – if you plan to travel, NWS issued a Blizzard Warning and Winter Storm Warning for snow accumulations of 15–30 inches at locations above 2,000 feet…but don’t worry, as Kent’s highest elevation is 542 feet on the East Hill.

Also, have you cold-proofed your outdoor water faucets or drafty windows yet? Get on it!

Video Forecast

Local @SeattleWXGuy Michael Snyder released this Pacific Northwest Weather Watch video forecast on Monday morning, Jan. 8, 2024:

Detailed 7-Day Forecast

Monday: Rain. High near 48. South southeast wind 3 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Monday Night: Rain. Low around 40. Breezy, with a south wind 17 to 26 mph, with gusts as high as 34 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
Tuesday: Rain. High near 44. Breezy, with a south southwest wind 24 to 26 mph, with gusts as high as 34 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Tuesday Night: Rain. Low around 36. Breezy, with a south southwest wind 18 to 24 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Wednesday: Rain likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 43. South wind around 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Wednesday Night: Rain likely before 2am, then rain likely, possibly mixed with snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 34. Chance of precipitation is 60%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
Thursday: Snow likely, possibly mixed with rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 38. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Thursday Night: A chance of rain and snow before 8pm, then a chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 22.
Friday: A chance of snow. Partly sunny, with a high near 26.
Friday Night: A chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 21.
Saturday: A chance of rain and snow. Partly sunny, with a high near 28.
Saturday Night: A chance of rain and snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 23.
Sunday: A chance of rain and snow. Partly sunny, with a high near 33.