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The following alert was just issed:

WINTER WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
245 PM PST THU MAR 14 2002

...LATE SEASON LOWLAND SNOW ACCUMULATIONS POSSIBLE LATE FRIDAY NIGHT OR SATURDAY......UNSEASONABLY COLD CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF
NEXT WEEK...

A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IN THE ALASKAN PANHANDLE WILL DROP SOUTHEAST INTO WESTERN WASHINGTON FRIDAY NIGHT THEN SOUTH OF THE STATE BY SUNDAY. AS THIS LOW PASSES THROUGH...IT WILL TAP INTO COLD AIR OVER THE INTERIOR OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. THIS WILL BRING UNSEASONABLY COLD
TEMPERATURES AND THE LIKELIHOOD OF SOME UNUSUALLY LATE SEASON LOWLAND
SNOW.

THE EFFECTS OF THIS WINTER SYSTEM WILL BE FELT FIRST FRIDAY NIGHT OVER NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE WESTERN WASHINGTON INTERIOR.
PRECIPITATION IN A CONVERGENCE ZONE FROM SNOHOMISH COUNTY NORTHWARD AND IN THE NORTH INTERIOR...WILL MIX WITH AND CHANGE TO SNOW FRIDAY NIGHT. ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE. LATER FRIDAY NIGHT...WINDY CONDITIONS WILL DEVELOP OVER WESTERN WHATCOM COUNTY AND THE SAN JUAN ISLANDS AS A STRONG COLD FRONT PUSHES SOUTH OUT OF THE FRASER RIVER VALLEY. BY DAYBREAK SATURDAY...NORTHEAST WINDS IN THE BELLINGHAM AREA COULD REACH 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH.

THE COLD FRONT WILL GRADUALLY PUSH SOUTH THROUGH THE STATE ON SATURDAY. DURING THE DAY SATURDAY SOME LOWLAND ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE FROM PORT ANGELES AND EVERETT SOUTHWARD. COLD AND WINDY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE IN THE BELLINGHAM AREA.

THESE CONDITIONS ARE QUITE UNUSUAL FOR SO LATE IN THE SEASON. ACCUMULATIONS IN THE LOWLANDS OF MORE THAN AN INCH OR TWO...ESPECIALLY SEATTLE SOUTHWARD...ARE QUITE RARE FROM MID MARCH ONWARD.

COLD AIR IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FUNNELING INTO WESTERN WASHINGTON FROM THE INTERIOR OF BRITISH COLUMBIA HROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. LOW TEMPERATURES WILL FALL INTO THE 20S TO LOWER 30S EACH DAY.

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