Brief warm, sunny spell to precede next storm in northwestern US
Record highs will be in jeopardy in parts of the Pacific Northwest as the region gets a taste of late-spring warmth into Monday.
However, the warm and dry pattern will be brief.
While the eastern third of the country faces more rounds of chilly air and another nor’easter, the Pacific Northwest will experience its mildest stretch of weather in several months.
Warmth will peak along the Interstate-5 corridor on Monday with high temperatures feeling more like late May near the 70-degree Fahrenheit mark.
Seattle and Olympia, Washington, and Portland, Oregon, may tie or break their respective daily record highs for March 12 as temperatures soar 10-15 degrees above normal.
Residents will not have to worry about wet weather putting a damper on the warmth, giving them an excellent opportunity to head outdoors and hike, golf, bike or fire up the grill.
Skiers will not have to contend with snowy travel to the ski resorts and will be able to hit the slopes with fewer layers.
However, the strengthening March sun could create areas of unstable snow due to melting that may trigger avalanches.
Farther inland, the warmth will peak on Tuesday for places such as Spokane, Washington, and Coeur d'Alene and Boise, Idaho, but fall short of record levels.
Sunglasses and short sleeves will need to be traded for umbrellas and jackets as a storm trims the warmth from west to east late Monday night and Tuesday.
“This storm will bring rain and mountain snow to the Northwest,” according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Jordan Root.
The cloudy, damper pattern will trim temperatures back to seasonable levels in the 40s and 50s F.
The storm is likely to be no more than a nuisance and won't significantly disrupt travel.
Snow levels will fall during the storm, but likely remain above major pass level.
The Northwest states will stay cool but largely free of major storms for the remainder of the new week as much of the precipitation takes aim at California.
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