Lots of work from transportation crews as well as warmer temperatures allowed Snoqualmie Pass to reopen Christmas Day, and with a warm front moving through, post-holiday highway travel should continue to improve.
"Hopefully it's a return to normal after a very active weather week before the Christmas holiday," said meteorologist Matthew Cullen, adding a similar warm front is expected Tuesday.
Snoqualmie Pass reopened at about 9 a.m. Sunday after freezing temperatures and icy roads dashed holiday plans for people attempting to cross the Cascades. As of 5 p.m., oversized vehicles were still prohibited from the pass and traction tires were advised, with snow and slush on the roadway amid rain showers.
Highway 2 remained closed from Skykomish to just outside Leavenworth, including Stevens Pass, and is forecast to receive a steady dumping of snow this week. The state Department of Transportation warned drivers not to drive past the closure points, even after crews cleared debris from a Saturday slide.
Though there may be "bursts" of heavier rain, only a half-inch was expected to fall into Monday, followed by breezy conditions with 20 to 25 mph winds, Cullen said.
"It's enough to notice but not enough to cause widespread impacts," he said. "You'll notice the breeze and tree branches swaying. It'll be a breezy, somewhat wet day across Seattle" with highs ranging from 45 to 50 degrees.
Cloudy conditions and showers should be pretty consistent through Thursday, Cullen said.
Snow levels in the mountains will be relatively high, near the 6,000-foot range, into Monday, with "only a handful of inches" of snow at the passes most likely Tuesday night into Wednesday, Cullen said.
"We're in a typical pattern of mountain snow and lowland rain," but anyone looking to travel or hit the slopes should be "aware of both the weather and avalanche threats," he said.
Though the weather service will continue to monitor rising water levels on the Snohomish River along with the Snoqualmie and Tolt rivers in King County, Cullen said the rivers are still below flood stage and the only active flood warning is for the Skykomish River in Mason County.
Cancellations and delays continued to plague Seattle-Tacoma International Airport days after an ice storm grounded hundreds of flights Thursday night. Flight tracking website FlightAware showed 114 canceled flights and 174 delayed trips Sunday afternoon.
