We caught a break - by a couple degrees

Just a couple of degrees. That's all it took to change the forecast of snow into rain, sparing morning commuters and leaving some area highways under water.

Earlier in the day Monday, the National Weather Service had predicted an overnight snow storm that threatened to clog the morning commute until it turned to rain, but the temperatures didn't get cold enough to produce snow.

"It was warmer by a couple of degrees," said meteorologist Carl Cerniglia. "It was a hair too warm and precipitation a hair too light. Where it was snowing, it was melting as it fell."

He said it was snowing in Bellingham this morning, but there was no snow in the Puget Sound region.

Tonight, he said, there will be rain or snow showers, but no snow accumulation. But snow will fall at Snoqualmie Pass, and forecasters are expecting a foot or two through Wednesday afternoon.

Meanwhile, the State Department of Transportation said it wasn't seeing any other problems on the local highways, except some standing water with all the rain. There will be avalanche control at Snoqualmie Pass and there could be delays for drivers.

Monday night, meteorologists said warm air blew into the region earlier than expected, making it less likely morning commuters would hit significant ice.

Meteorologists were expecting up to 1 inch of snow in Seattle overnight.

On Monday, the snow caused several school districts to cancel classes or start late.

The hardest-hit areas Monday were Hood Canal, which reported 6 to 10 inches of snow, and East Pierce County.

In Snohomish County, State Patrol spokesman Kirk Rudeen said highways near Granite Falls, Marysville and north of Bothell were particularly challenging Monday morning. "This is wet, heavy snow," he said, "not the nice dry snow that packs good. This stuff gets no traction."

There were traffic problems in many areas. "Take a dart and throw it at the map, and you'll probably hit a spot where we've had some problems," Rudeen said Monday.

Much of Snohomish County reported just enough snow to create icy road conditions.

Susan Gilmore: 206-464-2054 or sgilmore@seattletimes.com