Black ice, lowland snow still in the forecast

Buckle up for yet another round of lowland and mountain snow in the days ahead! Many communities are also waking up to black ice.

This morning, we've heard of many problems with black ice -- especially in the South Sound in Pierce County. Be extra careful driving today, particularly on side streets, bridges and overpasses. Some spots along the Hood Canal and the Cascade foothills could be waking up to a light layer of snow.

Today, you can expect similar weather to what we saw yesterday: there could be snow, small hail and graupel (soft, small snow pellets) mixed with rain in the lower elevations. Even if the hail, graupel or snow sticks to the ground in the lowlands, it should melt fairly rapidly. That's because highs in the lowlands will reach the upper 30s and low 40s this afternoon. A few strikes of lightning can't be ruled out.

Moderate mountain snow will make driving over the passes treacherous. Anywhere from six to 15 inches of snow could fall over the Cascades. Three to eight inches is more likely at the pass level. Freezing rain is even possible for the valleys of the South Washington Cascades today.

If you're hoping to head to the backcountry today, keep in mind: we're tracking "considerable" avalanche danger. That's a level three of five -- meaning, there's a real threat for snow slides. Check the latest conditions and the forecast with Northwest Avalanche Center. 

Wednesday night, four to eight inches of snow are in the forecast for the Cascade foothills. A little freezing rain isn't out of the question either. That's why the National Weather Service has posted a Winter Storm Watch for those areas (e.g. Carnation, Duvall, Covington, Enumclaw, North Bend, etc.).

Western Whatcom County and the San Juans are also covered in a Winter Storm Watch for Wednesday night. That's where four to eight inches could snarl traffic. 

Wednesday night to Thursday, the mountains will get slammed by intense snow. Between 15-30 inches of new snow are possible above 1,500' over the Cascades. During this time, travel could be difficult if not impossible over the passes. 

Lowland snow should change over to rain somewhat quickly Thursday with a high of 47 for Seattle. Hefty mountain snow is ongoing through Friday. Saturday could wind up mostly dry. Sunday looks glorious with mostly sunny skies and dry weather. Enjoy!

Thanks so much for choosing FOX 13. 

Warmly, 

Meteorologist Abby Acone

I'd love to connect with you on social media! You can find me here: 

Facebook (Meteorologist Abby Acone), Instagram @abbyaconewx and Twitter @abbyacone

Watch FOX 13 Seattle for the latest news:

MORE FROM FOX 13 WEATHER:
DOWNLOAD: FOX 13 Weather and News Apps 
WATCH: Forecast and Radar 
READ: Closures and Delays 
CHECK: Latest Weather Alerts and Live Traffic Map 
INTERACT: Submit your Weather Photo
DAILY BRIEF: Sign Up For Our Newsletter
FOLLOW: Lisa VillegasErin Mayovsky, Brian MacMillan, Abby Acone and Scott Sistek