Light snow possible overnight and Wednesday morning

There’s a slight chance that lowland Whatcom County will see a dusting of snow Tuesday evening and into the wee hours of Wednesday morning.

Areas of Whatcom County near the U.S.-Canada border are more likely to see snow, Canadian meteorologists said.

Most recent forecasts for the Bellingham area said there’s a 20 percent chance of snow Tuesday afternoon, changing to a 30 percent chance Tuesday night, according to the National Weather Service office in Seattle.

Chances of snow in Bellingham rise to about 70 percent before 4 a.m. Wednesday, forecasters said.

Accumulation of a half-inch or less is possible in Bellingham – and any snow that falls isn’t likely to remain for long.

Daytime temperatures are slated to begin rising Wednesday, after hovering just above the freezing mark for the past several days. Normal high temperature for December in Bellingham is 44 degrees.

Rain is expected Wednesday with a high of 39. More rain is forecast for Thursday, with a high of 43.

About 1.5 inches of snow is forecast for the Cascades Mountains around Mount Baker. For those headed to the Cascades backcountry, the avalanche danger is moderate at the treeline and above, according to the Northwest Avalanche Center.

Meanwhile, the Canadian weather service Environment Canada calls for a 40 percent chance of flurries Tuesday night at Abbotsford, B.C., just north of Sumas in northern Whatcom County.

Accumulation of up to an inch and a half of snow is possible. Temperatures in the Abbotsford area were expected to remain around 30 degrees, Environment Canada said.

Snow and freezing rain was forecast for Abbotsford on Wednesday night and Thursday morning. Temperatures at or below freezing are forecast.

This story was originally published December 26, 2017 at 4:59 PM with the headline "Light snow possible overnight and Wednesday morning."