11 p.m. update:

The much-advertised low pressure center is taking shape off the Oregon coast on Sunday evening and will quickly develop and move northeast toward Vancouver Island through the overnight hours.

The pressure differential produced by this feature will ramp up southeasterly winds across Western Washington after midnight.   All areas will experience gusty winds, but damaging winds are forecast in several regions:  along the coast where winds will gust over 70mph, toppling trees; areas north and west of Everett including Port Townsend, Whidbey and Camano Islands, the San Juans, and areas of Whatcom County close to the water… gusts to 65mph in these areas with power outages likely.  A High Wind Warning has been issued for these areas.

Also, winds will be strong along ridgetops and through gaps in the Cascade mountains, areas like Enumclaw and Buckley, North Bend, and near Issaquah... as well as near Tenino and spots in higher elevations in the South Sound.   These winds could gust over 50mph, though the affected areas won’t be widespread.  A Wind Advisory (a step down from a High Wind Warning) has been issued to address this threat.

Around Seattle and Tacoma and other locations not mentioned, winds will still be gusty with many spots seeing gusts over 30mph through the morning.  Some exposed areas will have gusts closer to 40mph, and completely open areas over water such as the Lake Washington bridges, Tacoma Narrows and Hood Canal could see gusts to 45mph.   East-west travelers need to pay special attention to cross-winds on bridges and (on the floating bridges) wind-driven spray through the Monday morning commute.

Travel through mountain passes should be discouraged, and may be impossible on Monday morning with blowing and drifting snow through the passes and possible avalanches.

Some snow is possible along the western reaches of Hood Canal and in higher elevations over the Kitsap Peninsula over Monday morning.  Any snow that accumulates in these areas will melt quickly.  Elsewhere, precipitation will be in the form of rain showers with embedded ice pellets or wet snow with no accumulations below 500 feet.

Winds will subside through the noon hour to 2 p.m. and rain will turn more sporadic and showery as a front clears the area.   Highs will get into the 40s in the afternoon, but don’t expect many sunbreaks.

In the mountains, several feet of snow will fall through Monday afternoon and a Winter Storm Warning is in effect through Monday afternoon.

Late Monday and Tuesday morning, some sporadic low elevation snowfall is possible, though mainly on higher hills and not likely to accumulate.   

Temperatures warm a bit from Wednesday through Friday, though the weather remains showery with occasional sunbreaks.

A very powerful area of low pressure -- a major wind producer -- will develop later today and tonight off the Washington coast.

Fortunately, this system will move toward the northern end of Vancouver Island and stay just far enough away from our state to prevent a major, widespread damaging wind event.

Through the rest of the afternoon, expect a few showers and occasionally breezy southeasterly winds close to water.  Several more inches of snow will fall in the mountains above 1,500-2,000 feet, though the activity will become spotty in nature as the day wears on.   At lower elevations, some small hail or graupel will be possible in heavier showers, as will some snowflakes mixing in mainly above 500 feet.   One such report came in this morning from Covington.

We have already hit our high temperatures for the day, and expect steady or slowly decreasing temperatures through the rest of Sunday with most areas ending the daylight hours in the lower 40s.

Sunset tonight in Seattle is 7:10 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time.

Potentially damaging winds early Monday for coast and north

After dark, the low pressure system off the Washington coast will undergo rapid intensification and it quickly moves north toward Vancouver Island.  This deepening of low pressure will dramatically enhance the gradient between high and low pressure areas, thus increasing southeast winds.

The location of the low and forecast movement is a classic wind-maker for areas through the east entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Admiralty Inlet and north interior waters north and west of Everett.  Strong southeasterly winds sustained over 30mph by midnight, increasing through the nighttime hours is forecast for these locations.  Gusts will peak in period from just before dawn through the 9 a.m. hour Monday and could exceed 55mph.  A High Wind Warning will be in effect for these areas:  near Port Townsend, Whidbey and Camano Islands, the San Juans and all surrounding interior locations west and north of Everett.  Locations in Whatcom, Skagit and northern Snohomish counties right on the water will also experience very strong winds.

All Washington coastal locations will experience powerful winds gusting to 60mph in many instances with a few isolated locations seeing gusts to 65 or 70 through early Monday morning.  A High Wind Warning will be in place for these areas as well.  Very high, battering waves will also be experienced with some coastal flooding or beach erosion likely in prone areas.

In the aforementioned areas, power outages and some damage are likely.

Still gusty... but damaging winds not expected for Seattle area

A Wind Advisory (but not a High Wind Warning) will be issued for locations in and adjacent to the Cascade foothills.   Wind gusts over 40mph will pass through some gaps and passes early Monday morning before subsiding by mid-morning.  Spots like Enumclaw, Buckley, Gold Bar and North Bend could see these stronger gusts, as could a few spots south of Issaquah.  

The location and movement of this Pacific storm will limit winds across most of the rest of the lowlands, including the Seattle/Tacoma area and most urban areas along I-5 corridor from Everett southward.  

Still, winds through Seattle and surrounding areas will occasionally gust over 30mph, especially on exposed higher locations.  

Winds across all of Western Washington will subside through the early afternoon hours Monday and high winds will no longer be a concern in any areas by mid-afternoon.

Slight lowland snow potential through Monday-Tuesday, heavy mountain snow certain

Higher elevations around Hood Canal could pick up one to two inches of slushy snow early Monday morning.

After a cold front whipping east around the powerful low moves through Western Washington on Monday morning, snow levels will fall, but remain comfortably above the lowlands.

In the early afternoon hours, as precipitation begins to wane, it will be cold enough for some spotty accumulating snows in the Cascade foothills and possibly at slightly lower elevations like Granite Falls or Lake Stevens, just to name examples.  This should not cause significant widespread travel concerns.

On Monday night, a few showers could produce some wintry mix in foothill locations, but lowland snow on Tuesday morning in the lowlands is looking unlikely.

In the Cascades and Olympics, more heavy mountain snow will produce several feet of new snow through the week, delighting skiers and snowboarders looking for some March powder.  A Winter Storm Warning is in effect for the Cascades and a Winter Weather Advisory for the Olympics.  Avalanche danger in back-country areas remains high.

Staying wet and unsettled through the remainder of the week

The Tuesday-Thursday time frame will feature occasional frontal passages with gusty showers and little sunshine in the lowlands.   However, significant wind and snow threats are not expected at lower elevations.

It will remain cool with highs remaining below the seasonal averages, which is presently 53 degrees in Seattle.