Local News

A rainy Mother’s Day and rest of week:  Shower all the mothers out there with love ’cause it’s going to be a rainy one.

Showers likely through the next several days including a 90 percent chance tomorrow. Something tells me it’ll be a lot easier to find a playing field at Cal Anderson this week.

Central District Shooting: Not a ton of info just yet,  but Seattle Police are reporting a fatal shooting last night near a CD parking lot.

Cafe Racer recovery: Since the Cafe Racer shootings, survivors have struggled, grieved and rebuilt both their lives and the little cafe. Their motto: Racer Love.

Sounders get hot on offense: After a handful of low-scoring (and frankly pretty boring) affairs earlier this season, the Sounders finally got their offense humming.  Lamar Neagle scored twice, and Mauro Rosales and Obafemi Martins punched balls into the back of the net for 4-0 drubbing of the San Jose Earthquakes. The team has won five straight.

Chris Hansen must really want a basketball team: He’s upped his offer to $625M and cut a backup deal with the current Kings owners to buy 20 percent of the Sacramento team.

Yesterday’s most read: 

Memo light: 

The Associated Press

The National Weather Service says heavy rain forecast through Wednesday in the Olympics and North Cascades will likely push rivers to flood stage.

National Weather Service forecast

The Barefoot Bandit: He’s scheduled to be in Skagit County Superior Court today because of that plane that was stolen in Anacortes back when he was bouncing around the Northwest committing crimes and eluding the cops at every turn. KING5 has the story. Colton Harris-Moore’s court appearance is to enter a plea for the theft of the plane.

Rain today, rain tomorrow, but what’s this? We could see a temperature of 60 degrees Friday. We’ll take that any day, especially in March.

Fire and explosion in South Park: There was an explosion and a fire at a vacant house in Seattle’s South Park neighborhood this morning. Neighbors say homeless people had been living there, KIRO-TV is reporting.

Bad day for pedestrians: Two were hit by a car in the U-District and another was hit by a Metro bus at Boren Avenue and Stewart Street yesterday.

This is about tax increases, so listen up:  The State Supreme Court is expect to rule today whether requiring a two-thirds majority for lawmakers to raise taxes is constitutional. Lawmakers are keeping a close eye on this because the ruling could affect how they deal with a roughly $1 billion budget shortfall.

That Nisqually quake: Not sure why we’re saying this, but today is the 12th anniversary of the Nisqually earthquake. What a shaker that was. 

Most-read stories on seattletimes.com:

1. State admits costly mistakes on 520 bridge
2. Alki, Capitol Hill, Belltown to star in new feature film
3. Wash. restaurant closed after 22 fall ill
4. How Seattle is ‘Top Chef: Seattle’? |Entertainment
5. Sacramento City Council OKs talks on arena deal | NBA | Sonics

Memo light: Garfield | Jim Davis

Nick Provenza: 206-464-2142 or nprovenza@seattletimes.com

The Associated Press

Forecasters say a cold front that moved into the Northwest overnight will bring more winds, rain and mountain snow today to Western Washington and a mix of rain and snow in Eastern Washington.

One overnight gust of 52 mph was recorded at the Whidbey Island Naval Air Station and the National Weather Service says other gusts in Western Washington have been in the 30 to 40 mph range.

Rain in the lowlands is accompanied by snow in the Cascades where another 4 to 9 inches are expected Monday above 2,000 feet.

More snow also is forecast for the mountains of Eastern Washington with some accumulations in northern valleys. Forecasters expect 1 to 3 inches Monday in the Spokane-area.

Forecasters expect dryer weather on tomorrow.

A wild, wet and windy Friday is in store for Western Washington, driven by a weather system that could bring an inch or two of rain in the lowlands and up to two feet of snow in the mountains by Saturday morning.

The storm could hit in time to impact the Friday morning commute.

“It will be kind of breezy all day and pick up as the day goes on,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Gary Schneider.

Gusts in the Seattle area could hit 40 mph Friday, with sustained winds between 15 and 30 mph. On the coast, gusts of up to 50 mph are forecast.

Drivers headed over the Cascades Friday are advised to expect difficult conditions, carry an extra flashlight, food, water and blankets in case of an emergency.

The snow level, at about 2,000 feet today, is expected to rise to about 3,000 feet on Friday then dip below 1,500 feet Friday night.  That could produce snow in some of the higher foothills, Schneider said, but for the most part, there’s little chance of snow in the Puget Sound area, as lows could stay in the upper 30s – a couple degrees higher than normal for this time of year.

The weather service has also issued an “avalanche watch,” saying that back-country travel is not recommended Friday on avalanche-prone areas on the western slopes of the Cascades.

The weather is expected to calm down over the weekend, with a chance of rain Saturday and Sunday, but a series of storms is expected about every other day through next week.

More than a foot of snow dropped on the Olympics and Central Cascades between Monday and Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. Just as much, if not more, could fall again in Cascade areas above 4,000 feet by Wednesday morning.

Because temperatures increased in the mountains Tuesday, most precipitation falling on Snoqualmie pass over overnight is expected to be rain, according to Weather Service meteorologist Ni Cushmeer. Precipitation around Stevens Pass overnight is expected to be a rain/snow mix, she said.

Avalanche warnings have been issued for areas throughout the Cascades. On Wednesday, strong northwest winds are expected to increase avalanche danger to high in areas above 4,000 feet and to considerable danger below that elevation, according to the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center.  Avalanche danger could also increase because of moderate rain that could warm the area. Back-country travel is not recommended because natural and human-triggered avalanches are likely, according to the center.

The lower Puget Sound will get plenty of its own rain on Wednesday and part of the Thursday with lows in the  mid-40s and highs in the low 50s. Skies are expected to be partly sunny for Friday and Saturday.

National Weather Service / Forecast

The snow we said is coming tonight is still in the offing, but it is expected to be mixed with rain. We could have some flurries tomorrow, too. But Friday might be sunny. Go figure. Then on Saturday, there’s a 40 percent change of snow. Let’s see what happens, shall we.

The Sacramento Kings, Seattle and the rumor: It’s tweet mania this morning that Seattle sports arena honcho Chris Hansen has purchased the Sacrament Kings of the NBA. No one has confirmed this. It’s all based on a tweet from the daughter of an NBA player agent. If it’s true, we’ll report it. Here’s what KING has.

A construction worker fell into a well yesterday in Shelton, but he’s going to be OK. We like the way The Associated Press tells the story: “He was walking around a property searching for a wellhead when he found it — falling through rotten boards and 45 feet down a hole.” He landed in some mighty deep water, but after about an hour, rescue workers were able to pull him to safety. KING5 has the story.

Seattletimes.com is packed with news you may well want to read this morning: Will the city of Seattle’s gun-buyback program make a difference?; The tour company in that fatal Oregon bus crash has been ordered to cease operation in the U.S. ; the pedestrian who went for coffee after being hit by bus; Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn is likely to seek a second term as mayor.

We just knew this happened sometimes: Six suitcases and a bunch of other stuff believed stolen from Portland International Airport were found in a Vancouver, Wash., home and led to the arrest of two people. Police are trying to reach the owners of the bags to return them. Not sure we’d wear any of the clothes in those bags again, though…

Stories trending this morning on seattletimes.com:

1. 2 Bellevue police commanders demoted for extramarital affair
2. Seahawks busting early-season myths about their play
3. Seahawk offense’s hard-nosed mantra: Impose their will | Jerry Brewer
4. ‘Severe fire damage in 787 electrical bay, NTSB says
5. Rockefeller Group plans to build offices in downtown Bellevue

Nick Provenza: 206-464-2142 or nprovenza@seattletimes.com. On Twitter @NickProvenza1

UPDATE: 7:30 a.m. | Snow that fell over much of the Puget Sound area early today is changing to rain, but not fast enough to clear all roadways in the morning commute.

A light rain was falling at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport just after 7 a.m.  “We’re expecting that trend to continue over the next couple of hours and hopefully we’ll change to complete to rain by 10 this morning,” said Steve Reedy of the National Weather Service.

In the early hours, snow contributed to numerous accidents, including one in which a State Patrol trooper’s car was hit in the Lynnwood area while he was investigating another accident.

State Patrol Trooper Mark Francis said a trooper had stopped near the interchange of Highway 525 and Highway 99 in Lynnwood about 5:30 a.m. to help a motorist whose car had gone off the roadway. The area was then covered in about a half-inch of snow. While the trooper was out of his car, it was struck from behind by a pickup. The trooper was not hit, and no one was hurt.

Francis said snow has been a factor in “a bunch” of collisions in South Snohomish County.

Snow was also covering some roadways in several Puget Sound counties, although most highways and major routes were bare and wet. By midday, the freezing level is expected to climb to between 1,000 and 1,500 feet.

Snow swept into the area from the southwest and began falling in the Central Puget Sound area between 2  a.m. and 3 a.m.

Heavy snow is expected to continue in the mountains.  Dustin Guy of the National Weather Service said the Olympics could see 10 to 16 inches of fresh snow in the next 24 hours,  and the Cascades could get one to two feet of new snow.

At 8:30 a.m., chains were required on Snoqualmire Pass for all vehicles without four-wheel drive.  On Stevens Pass, traction tires were required.  Travelers should check for updates.

A number of school districts have announced schedule changes.

Snow could fall on a widespread area including Seattle early Wednesday, and that could make the morning commute a bit tricky.

Puget Sound area snow levels are sinking low again tonight and Wednesday morning with the chance of precipitation at 80 percent, according to the National Weather Service.

Up to an inch of snow could accumulate in areas 300 feet and higher across the region. That includes Seattle neighborhoods such as Capitol Hill, Queen Anne, Wedgwood and Beacon Hill. You can check the elevation of several other neighborhoods and cities here. A pocket of cold air trapped against the east side of the Olympic Mountains could create especially snowy conditions for Hood Canal, where 2 to 4 inches was expected overnight.

Weather service meteorologist Dustin Guy said Seattle would probably see more of a rain/snow mix overnight. If there is accumulation, Guy estimated it would most likely happen between 4 and 8 a.m.

Snow levels will remain at about 1,000 feet after 9 a.m. Wednesday, but a warm front bringing temperatures into the mid-40s by the afternoon should ensure that the Seattle metro area only gets rain for the rest of the day, Guy said. About three-quarters of an inch of rain could fall in a 24-hour period.

As the storm continues over Wednesday night and into Thursday morning, mountain passes could see at least a foot of snow and elevations above that could get several feet of snow.

“It’s going to get very wet — well, and white in some areas — because this is a significant system,” Guy said of Wednesday night’s forecasted storm. “The mountains are going to get clobbered.”

Heavy rainfall over the past week, continuing a wet pattern of the last several weeks, has created the danger of landslides around Western Washington, according to the Weather Service.

Rainfall totals around Western Washington of an inch or more in the last 24 hours has heightened the risk that saturated slopes could give way, the Weather Service noted in a “Special Weather Statement.”

In the 24 hours ending at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport has .82 inches of rain, Bremerton had 1.1 inches, Shelton had 1.3 inches and Humptulips on the Olympic Peninsula had 2 inches.

Showers are expected to continue through the week, prolonging the risk.