BELLINGHAM - Bellingham could see snowflakes as early as Saturday afternoon, the first snowfall of winter.

That's almost a full day earlier than meteorologists were predicting at the start of the week, with at least an inch or two expected to stick in parts of the city this weekend. And that's likely just a taste of things to come.

Saturday's snowfall will come after a morning of rain showers, meaning flakes will have a tough time sticking at first, said Dennis D'Amico, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. But as the snow level drops, parts of Bellingham - especially around higher elevations like Sehome Hill - could get up to 3 inches of snow Saturday night.

Other parts of the city are predicted to get trace amounts, up to about a half an inch. Snow and rain showers are predicted to follow throughout the weekend.

"It's going to be kind of a showery pattern," D'Amico said.

In Lynden, Ferndale and Birch Bay, less than a half an inch of snow was expected to accumulate through Monday.

Daytime temperatures will spike at about 40 degrees Saturday afternoon, with overnight lows between 28 to 30 degrees - temperatures ripe for snow - the rest of the weekend.

Cascade Mountain ski resorts can expect a good Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday weekend, with a foot or more of new snow at Mount Baker in the North Cascades and somewhat less at Snoqualmie Pass in the central Cascades, D'Amico said.

And a larger snowstorm could be on the horizon early next week. A "widespread snow event" appears likely along the state coastline starting Tuesday, D'Amico said.

The Bellingham area, however, might not take the brunt of the potential blizzard.

"It remains to be seen how much it'll be," D'Amico said.

The state Department of Transportation said it had snow crews ready to roll in the event of an incoming snowstorm. Snowplows and sand-and-salt spreaders will be on alert all weekend.

COMMON DRIVING MISTAKES

If you have to venture out on snow- and ice-covered roads, be prepared, leave extra time to travel, and have a lot of patience. Here are 10 common mistakes drivers make in winter weather, according to the Washington State Patrol:

• Driving too fast. Accelerate slowly and break lightly. Jamming on the brakes will cause you to lose control.

• Following too closely. Allow plenty of distance from the car ahead.

• Overcorrecting on ice. Stay calm, take your foot off the gas and turn the steering wheel in the direction you want to go.

• Driving with poor visibility: Keep your windows free of snow and fog.

• Driving back roads. Smaller roads are often unplowed and less traveled.

• Not getting the car ready: Make sure tires, the battery and the cooling system are in good condition.

• Failing to carry emergency gear: Pack warm clothes, flares, chains, kitty litter or sand for traction, jumper cables, a shovel and a flashlight.

• Leaving the car if you're stranded. Run the engine 10 minutes each hour for heat, and clear the exhaust pipe of snow, ice or mud until help arrives.

• Not checking weather conditions. Don't be taken by surprise.

• Not keeping your gas tank full. If you get stranded, you want as much fuel in the tank as possible.