Hold onto your hats. Wind, rain return to Seattle area starting Wednesday night

A timeline by the National Weather Service shows high winds and rain moving in on Wednesday night and continuing through Friday. A timeline by the National Weather Service shows high winds and rain moving in on Wednesday night and continuing through Friday. Photo: Courtesy NWS Photo: Courtesy NWS Image 1 of / 41 Caption Close Hold onto your hats. Wind, rain return to Seattle area starting Wednesday night 1 / 41 Back to Gallery

A storm system moving in Wednesday afternoon was expected to bring high winds and rain to Western Washington.

Early Wednesday will be mostly dry, with winds and rain moving in Wednesday night, according to the National Weather Service. Snow accumulation of 6-12 inches was possible in the North Cascades above 2,500 feet.

A high wind watch was set to take effect 6 a.m. Thursday through late Thursday night. Sustained winds were expected to reach 35 mph, with gusts up to 60 mph along the coast and northern interior. Snow levels were forecast to rise to above 5,000 feet.

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Minor river flooding was also expected in Clallam, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Mason, Skagit, Whatcom and Snohomish counties.

Next storm system arrives late tomorrow and with most impacts continuing through Friday. Expect windy conditions, especially along the Coast and Northern Interior, lowland rain, and mountain snow, mainly across the North Cascades. #WAwx pic.twitter.com/iBtjykr5xu — NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) January 2, 2019

Showers and breezy conditions were predicted to continue through Friday. Large waves over 20 feet were possible along the coast.

Stay up-to-date on local weather conditions at this link.