Parts of western Washington experienced a rare burst of lowland snow in mid-March as a surge of colder air followed a powerful storm system that swept through the Pacific Northwest.

Wet and slushy snow was reported across several communities around the Puget Sound region, including areas near Seattle, as temperatures dropped and snow levels briefly plunged to unusually low elevations.

The snowfall capped a week of volatile weather that had already brought strong winds, heavy rain and widespread power outages to parts of the region.

Meteorologists said the event reflected a sudden shift in atmospheric conditions after the passage of a strong weather front.

Behind the system, colder air moved into western Washington, lowering snow levels to roughly five hundred to one thousand feet in some areas and allowing snow to mix with rain even in locations that rarely see flakes so late in the season.

Although the accumulation in the lowlands remained limited and quickly turned to slush in many places, the snowfall created short-lived disruptions during the morning commute and surprised residents accustomed to milder conditions by mid-March.

Roads in some areas became slick as temperatures hovered near freezing during heavier bursts of precipitation.

In the nearby Cascade Mountains, the same weather pattern produced significantly heavier snowfall, adding to already deep snow totals across ski areas and mountain passes.

Officials warned of hazardous travel conditions on several routes, including major highways crossing the Cascades, as fresh snow and gusty winds reduced visibility and increased the risk of accidents.

Weather forecasters noted that lowland snow in western Washington becomes increasingly uncommon as winter gives way to spring.

By mid-March, precipitation in the region typically falls as rain at sea level, with snow largely confined to higher elevations in the Cascades and Olympic Mountains.

The sudden appearance of snow in the lowlands therefore stood out as a reminder of the region’s unpredictable late-season weather patterns, where cold air moving south from Canada can occasionally combine with Pacific storms to produce brief wintry conditions even as spring approaches.

Forecasters expect temperatures to rise again in the coming days, returning the region to more typical early-spring weather with rain in the lowlands and snow limited mainly to the mountains.