First snowfall blows into town

Enjoy it while it lasts.

Seattle's first real snowfall of the year blew into town early this afternoon, but weather forecasters said it won't amount to much or stay around for long.

"Accumulations generally are going to range from zero or a trace up to 3 inches," National Weather Service meteorologist Doug McDonnal said as snow started falling over Seattle shortly after 1 p.m.

Most of the Seattle area probably won't see more than 2 inches, McDonnal said.

Temperatures will turn warmer tomorrow as a new weather system moves in, melting today's snow and bringing rain. The mercury is expected to register about 45 degrees F tomorrow afternoon.

By Monday, heavy rain could cause some rivers to flood and winds could cause minor damage, the Weather Service warned. Winds of 40 mph are possible on the Washington coast; higher winds are predicted on the Oregon coast.

Flooding is most likely on Olympic Peninsula rivers, but McDonnal said flooding is also possible in the Puget Sound area.

Two separate storm systems will bring the warmer, windier weather tomorrow and Monday, but they will hit so closely as to be almost indistinguishable.

Some parts of the Seattle area got a light dusting of snow this morning, and heavier snowfall in Skagit County caused a number of traffic accidents, the state Department of Transportation and Washington State Patrol reported.

After closing Chinook and Cayuse passes for the winter Thursday in anticipation of heavy snow and high winds, DOT on Friday closed the North Cascades Highway from east of Diablo Dam to west of Mazama. Transportation officials will decide early in the coming week whether the highway can be reopened.

Keith Ervin: 206-464-2105 or kervin@seattletimes.com