The weather map is interesting this morning: there's no real, well-organized area of low pressure yet feet of snow are on the way in the mountains and heavy rain will fall along the coast and across parts of our western Washington lowlands. Two strong jet stream disturbances, one now over western Canada and the other over the north Pacific, coupled with strong (northwest) upslope flow, will deal one of the bigger storms of the winter to the area over the next 48 hours.

The first disturbance moves through today and tonight with increasing lowland rain. This will be especially heavy along the coast, in the south Sound, and north of Everett. Near Seattle and over the Kitsap peninsula, we will be caught in the rain shadow on the east side of the Olympics, limiting rainfall. This will be the case, as well, with the second distrubance Tuesday night and Wednesday. Rainfall will be enhanced some within a Puget Sound Convergence zone over the eastern entrance to the Straight southeast to Snohomish County, where close to two inches of rain could fall by Wednesday morning. Elsewhere, away from the rain shadow, 1-2" of rain are likely with around a half inch near Seattle.

In the mountains, a winter storm warning is in effect from noon today through Tuesday night. Snow levels, now at about 1,200 feet, will rise to 3,000 feet or higher by tomorrow morning. Some rain may mix in at times at Snoqualmie Pass, but at Stevens Pass it's all snow. With a northwest flow, some of the heaviest totals will fall over the central and south Cascades, where the slopes face toward the northwest. Snowfall totals:

• Snoqualmie Pass: 12-24"
• Stevens Pass: 18-36"
• North Cascades: 12-24"
• Olympics (north slopes/west slopes): 12-24"
• Central/South Cascades Above 5,000 feet (including Rainier): 2-4'

Before snow levels rise, some snow is likely in the high foothills east of Seattle. This snow threat will end later today as warmer air moves in aloft.

Drier weather moves in later this week and we'll be back in a pattern featuring an inversion layer -- warm air above cold air. This will lead to areas of morning fog that slowly burn off to give us a partly cloudy afternoon sky.

Have a great day.