Put on your favorite rain jacket and dust off your SAD lamp -- a storm's a brewin' in Western Washington, and it's looking like it wants to stay for a while.
The South Sound should expect moderate to heavy rain to continue from Thursday night into Friday according to the Seattle National Weather Service.
Steady precipitation is forecast throughout the weekend, bringing about .5 to 1 inch of rain from Tacoma to Olympia.
Along with the rainfall comes strong windy conditions, particularly for cities along the coast. Gusts are expected to be around 20 to 25 miles per hour across the South Sound, with a chance of reaching 30 miles per hour.
For those in the higher altitudes, the forecast is icier. Moderate to heavy snow will hit the Cascades and Olympic mountain ranges this weekend, with snow levels falling between 2500 and 3500 feet.
Once Friday's rain kicks in, temperatures are expected to drop slightly throughout the weekend with highs in the upper 40s continuing into the following week.
If you're one of those people who thrive in cold and rainy conditions, you're in luck: The unsettled weather patterns will continue into next week, bringing spurts of precipitation, more mountain snowfall and the chance for high winds to hit the coast.
Again, moderate to heavy rainfall is expected in the South Sound Monday and the days beyond.
Although this weather pattern is "very active", it's not unusual for this time of year, said Dev McMillian, a meteorologist at NWS Seattle. What is atypical, however, is this year's rainfall deficit.
This year is the 7th driest January through August on record in Washington, with total precipitation falling 6.22 inches below normal, according to the National Integrated Drought Information System. Hopefully the upcoming stormy conditions will make a difference, McMillian said.