Coastal storm to drop wintry mix from Seattle to Portland, Oregon, early this week

By Faith Eherts , AccuWeather meteorologist

December 5,2016, 3:31:11PM,EST

 A storm will bring a fresh bout of coastal rain and high-elevation snow to the Pacific Northwest early this week.

Upwards of a foot of snow could collect along the ridges of higher terrain.
"Periods of heavy snow will fall across the Cascades of Washington and Oregon on Monday and into Tuesday, where new snowfall totals may exceed as high as 10 to 12 inches," AccuWeather Meteorologist Kevin Gilmore said.
The Blue Mountains and Bitterroots could receive up to 18 inches of snow.
Although areas immediately surrounding these peaks are expected to receive up to 3 inches of snow, major population centers will not have any accumulation.

Between the immediate coast and the western ridge of the Cascades, a recent cool blast will allow precipitation to fall as a wintry mix of snow, sleet and rain.
While much of the snow will melt as it falls on roads at sea level in Seattle and Portland, Oregon, motorists should be on guard for slippery spots, especially during the nighttime and early morning hours into Tuesday. Slippery spots can occur on bridges and overpasses, and may be more common in the hilly areas.
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“Just enough snow could fall or wet areas may freeze to cause more general slippery conditions in part of the Route 395 corridor from Spokane, Washington, to Burns, Oregon, during the first part of the week,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said.
“Plummeting temperatures, gusty winds and snow over the passes can create white-out conditions," he said.
"By late Tuesday and into Wednesday, the system across the Pacific Northwest will press eastward and deliver periods of snow to Salt Lake City and Denver," Gilmore said.
A couple inches of snow is expected to fall in Salt Lake City before the end of the day on Wednesday.
Up to a foot of snow may blanket the high terrain of north-central Colorado.
"Expect a snow total of 2 to 4 inches for the Denver metro area by late Wednesday with frigid temperatures," Gilmore said.
Snow will spread from Denver eastward along the Nebraska-Kansas border.
The coldest air of the season will plunge into the Plains along with this storm, with increasingly gusty winds bringing RealFeel® Temperatures into the single digits across much of Nebraska, Colorado and Utah, including Denver and Salt Lake City.

Temperatures consistently near or below freezing will make for slippery travel along roads, particularly bridges and overpasses.
Another cold storm system is anticipated to arrive by the end of this week.
Snow and ice are possible from northern California through Seattle.
"While a quick transition from snow and a wintry mix to rain are likely in much of the Interstate 5 corridor, a prolonged event with snow and ice can occur in and east of the Cascades across Washington and Oregon prior to the end of the week," Sosnowski said.
Enough snow to shovel and plow is possible with the storm later this week in much of the Route 395 corridor as well as I-84 from northeastern Oregon to southern Idaho.
Travel over Snowqualmie Pass along I-90, could be slippery to say the least.