Wintry weather on tap in Thurston County

A wintry mix of rain and snow is on the radar for Thurston County, as a cold front makes its way toward the region.

The National Weather Service Office in Seattle forecast calls for rain on Tuesday evening, Jan. 6, mainly before 8 p.m. The rain is expected to then give way to mostly cloudy skies, with a southwest wind of 7 to 9 miles per hour and gusts as high as 21 miles per hour. The overnight low should be around 36 degrees.

Rain and snow are on tap before 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 7, then a chance of precipitation. The daytime high should be near 41 degrees, with a south wind of 10 to 14 miles per hour and gusts as high as 23 miles per hour.

Rain is likely before 7 p.m. on Wednesday evening, then snow possibly mixed with rain. The overnight low should be around 34 degrees, with little or no snow accumulation expected.

Rain, possibly mixed with snow, is in the forecast on Thursday, Jan. 8, with rain after 10 a.m. The daytime high should be near 43 degrees, with a south, southwest wind of 8 to 10 miles per hour. The overnight low should be around 38 degrees. Forecasts are subject to change.

The wintry weather should be a boon to skiers, snowboarders and other winter outdoor enthusiasts, as mountains are expected to get a strong dose of snow.

“Continued onshore flow within an active jet stream carrying a number of impulses aloft into the Pacific Northwest will result in nearly continuous snowfall for the Cascade Mountains over the next couple of days,” said the National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland, on Tuesday.

“Through Thursday evening, (2) to (4) feet of snow is anticipated for the Washington and Oregon Cascades, even down to some of the passes given the colder (air mass} in place.”