Unsettled weather pattern to return to Northwest after tranquil start to the week

An area of high pressure that brought a break in the storms recently in the Northwest will give way to a new storm from the Pacific Ocean.

Quiet conditions over the Northwest had directed the storm track farther north into Pacific Canada, resulting in heavy rain and mountain snow in western British Columbia since last week.

However, this next Pacific storm will take aim farther south. Wet weather arrived in the Northwest Monday night and is expected to continue through Tuesday.

"Snow levels will be higher than with previous storms, so precipitation along the I-5 corridor from Seattle to Northern California will fall in the form of rain," AccuWeather Meteorologist Kyle Elliott said.

Even though precipitation will fall as a plain rain, motorists may experience a slower Tuesday morning commute along the I-5 corridor.

Along the coast, a building westerly swell will create the threat for sneaker waves along area beaches.

Beachgoers are advised to stay away from the shoreline to avoid falling victim to these occasional large waves.

The threat for wet weather will extend eastward beyond the coastal lowlands and Cascades from the storm.

Kennewick and Spokane, Washington, and even Boise, Idaho, can expect wet weather to develop during the day on Tuesday.

This storm system is not expected to have snow levels as low as some of the recent systems. However, with levels initially around 3,000 feet, area passes such as Snoqualmie and Stevens could still face some travel issues from Tuesday into Wednesday.

Snow levels are forecast to rise at midweek and climb to well above the passes in the Northwest by Thursday.

The persistent pattern of unsettled weather across the Cascades and northern Sierras will continue to keep an elevated avalanche threat in place this week.

As the storm system tracks into the Intermountain West during Tuesday and Wednesday, dry and settled conditions will come to an end.

Wintry weather is likely for places like Salt Lake City, Utah, and Yellowstone National Park. While major accumulations are not expected, it may prove to be beneficial for area ski resorts.

AccuWeather meteorologists predict the unsettled pattern will likely continue into late week across the Northwest.

A lack of Arctic intrusions will also continue to keep snow levels higher than average for this time of year.

Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.