Will incoming weather system bring snow? Um… maybe

A cold weather system is expected to move into the Pacific Northwest early next week.

But what that means is far from clear.

The National Weather Service on Saturday said the low pressure system could bring colder-than-usual temperatures could bring the possibility of low elevation snow by Wednesday.

Maybe.

“There appears to be a good chance for heavy snowfall in the mountains during the week,” a Weather Service bulletin said, “but at lower elevations, the prospects for snow are considerably more uncertain.”

Showers are expected to increase Monday night through Wednesday, though forecasters said there is a “considerable amount of uncertainty” as to how cold the air will be and how much precipitation can be expected.

“It is possible that the valley floors will see a significant snowfall in the mid to late week time frame, but it is also possible that little or no snow will fall,” the bulletin said.

Forecasting snow west of the Cascade Range is notoriously tricky thanks to the moderating effects of the Pacific Ocean. It is usually wet but too warm, or cold but too dry.