Rain, snow to hammer northwestern US into the weekend

Bouts of rain and snow will continue to hammer the northwestern United States through Saturday.

However, Seattle and also Portland, Oregon, will not see a repeat of the rare wintry weather that unfolded earlier this week.

Mild air has since invaded coastal areas of Washington and Oregon after several inches of snow and ice accumulated on Thursday.

Rain will replace the wintry mix along the Interstate 5 corridor across the Northwest into Saturday.

“Where a few inches of snow is followed by drenching rain, urban and poor drainage area flooding will occur,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said.

Some of the rain may be heavy, especially across northern California as a burst of rain arrives into Saturday.

Heavy snow will accumulate from the Cascades to the Sierra Nevada and higher elevations farther inland.

“The air will remain cold enough for heavy snow to fall over the Cascades and Bitterroots,” Sosnowski said. “Up to 2 feet of snow will fall in the Cascades, Blue Mountains and Bitterroots.”

Those venturing over the mountain passes should be prepared for difficult roadway conditions. Tire chains may be needed.

“It is possible the passes in the Cascades and Bitterroots may close for a time due to the heavy snowfall rate,” Sosnowski said.

Heavy snow in the mountains lead to multiple accidents, travel delays and road closures on Friday afternoon, especially in Washington.

There will be a few more opportunities for wintry weather to return to the Seattle and Portland metro areas this weekend.

While rain will be the dominant theme, a few snowflakes can mix in across western Washington and Oregon. The most likely chance for additional wintry weather from Portland to Seattle will be from Sunday into Monday as a shot of cold air dives southward.

As storms roll across the Northwest over the weekend, one storm will emerge from the Rockies and bring the threat for accumulating snow to the Midwest.

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