As rain pours down, flooding risk to increase in hard-hit Pacific Northwest
By
Jessica Storm, AccuWeather Meteorologist
Published Jan 10, 2022 10:13 AM EST
|
Updated Jan 11, 2022 1:16 PM EST
Rising floodwaters led to interstate shutdowns, road collapses and house slides throughout Washington and Oregon on Jan. 7.
Heavy rain and high country snow have returned to the Pacific Northwest this week, but AccuWeather forecasters say this stormy weather is not expected to expand across much of the West.
Late last week, record rainfall fell across the Pacific Northwest, resulting in disastrous and deadly flooding. The ground became wet and unstable from rainfall as snow melted at lower elevations, causing river levels to rise. This flooding was blamed for at least one death after vehicles were swept away near Cosmopolis, Washington, located in the southwestern portion of the state.
These rising floodwaters also caused numerous road closures and evacuations across the region, particularly across the Skokomish River Valley in Mason County, including Interstate 5. In higher elevations, "unprecedented" amounts of snow accumulated in places such as White Pass, where crews were still digging out 16 feet of snow and massive drifts on the roads.
A swath of moisture, known as an atmospheric river, can be seen extending from the tropical Pacific to the coasts of Washington and British Columbia on Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022. (NOAA/GOES-West)
After a short weekend break in the action, steady rain and mountain snow began to return to the Pacific Northwest on Monday and much more is on the way into Wednesday as a plume of moisture from the tropics aims toward the Washington and British Columbia coasts.
"What rain and snow there will be across the West will be confined largely to Washington and western Oregon," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Adam Douty.
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Locally heavy rainfall began Monday night in Washington, especially on the Olympic Peninsula and the Cascades. Another round of heavy rain is anticipated on Tuesday night through Wednesday for the area.
"Flooding is possible in areas near the coast to the mountains in western Washington," explained AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok.
AccuWeather meteorologists are closely watching the Vancouver, British Columbia, area for heavy rain forecast to arrive around midweek which, combined with melting snow, could cause flooding issues.
"Unlike recent storms that brought plenty of cold and low snow levels, milder air this week will mean that snow levels will be much higher, between 5,000 and 7,000 feet across the Washington and Oregon Cascades, which will be above pass level," said Douty, emphasizing that the warmup could lead to an increased risk for avalanches in the backcountry.
Temperatures will likely rise several degrees above normal in cities like Seattle, Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver throughout the week, with temperatures peaking midweek. Portland could even have temperatures rising into the middle 50s Fahrenheit on Wednesday, while the city usually has highs in the upper 40s in January.
Across the border, heavy snow could result in travel disruptions around parts of British Columbia.
"Heavy snow will fall across southwestern British Columbia, leading to delays in travel," Pastelok said.
Farther south, however, much of the northwestern United States can consider this week an extended break from storms, including Medford, Oregon, Boise, Idaho, and Missoula, Montana.
"Much easier travel is expected across the region this week," added Douty.
Over the upcoming weekend, the main storm track will lift even farther north in the Pacific Northwest, allowing precipitation in Washington, Idaho and northern Montana to be less intense.
Farther south, as the overall pattern slows and high pressure takes control, a different type of issue related to the weather could unfold.
"While it will be dry in many areas, foggy and hazy conditions could set in across some of the interior valleys in California and Salt Lake City as air becomes stagnant," said Douty, adding that some areas could have reduced air quality this week as a result.
For the latest weather news check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch the AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeather Now is now available on your preferred streaming platform.
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News / Severe Weather
As rain pours down, flooding risk to increase in hard-hit Pacific Northwest
By Jessica Storm, AccuWeather Meteorologist
Published Jan 10, 2022 10:13 AM EST | Updated Jan 11, 2022 1:16 PM EST
Rising floodwaters led to interstate shutdowns, road collapses and house slides throughout Washington and Oregon on Jan. 7.
Heavy rain and high country snow have returned to the Pacific Northwest this week, but AccuWeather forecasters say this stormy weather is not expected to expand across much of the West.
Late last week, record rainfall fell across the Pacific Northwest, resulting in disastrous and deadly flooding. The ground became wet and unstable from rainfall as snow melted at lower elevations, causing river levels to rise. This flooding was blamed for at least one death after vehicles were swept away near Cosmopolis, Washington, located in the southwestern portion of the state.
These rising floodwaters also caused numerous road closures and evacuations across the region, particularly across the Skokomish River Valley in Mason County, including Interstate 5. In higher elevations, "unprecedented" amounts of snow accumulated in places such as White Pass, where crews were still digging out 16 feet of snow and massive drifts on the roads.
A swath of moisture, known as an atmospheric river, can be seen extending from the tropical Pacific to the coasts of Washington and British Columbia on Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022. (NOAA/GOES-West)
After a short weekend break in the action, steady rain and mountain snow began to return to the Pacific Northwest on Monday and much more is on the way into Wednesday as a plume of moisture from the tropics aims toward the Washington and British Columbia coasts.
"What rain and snow there will be across the West will be confined largely to Washington and western Oregon," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Adam Douty.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
Locally heavy rainfall began Monday night in Washington, especially on the Olympic Peninsula and the Cascades. Another round of heavy rain is anticipated on Tuesday night through Wednesday for the area.
"Flooding is possible in areas near the coast to the mountains in western Washington," explained AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok.
AccuWeather meteorologists are closely watching the Vancouver, British Columbia, area for heavy rain forecast to arrive around midweek which, combined with melting snow, could cause flooding issues.
"Unlike recent storms that brought plenty of cold and low snow levels, milder air this week will mean that snow levels will be much higher, between 5,000 and 7,000 feet across the Washington and Oregon Cascades, which will be above pass level," said Douty, emphasizing that the warmup could lead to an increased risk for avalanches in the backcountry.
Temperatures will likely rise several degrees above normal in cities like Seattle, Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver throughout the week, with temperatures peaking midweek. Portland could even have temperatures rising into the middle 50s Fahrenheit on Wednesday, while the city usually has highs in the upper 40s in January.
Across the border, heavy snow could result in travel disruptions around parts of British Columbia.
"Heavy snow will fall across southwestern British Columbia, leading to delays in travel," Pastelok said.
Farther south, however, much of the northwestern United States can consider this week an extended break from storms, including Medford, Oregon, Boise, Idaho, and Missoula, Montana.
"Much easier travel is expected across the region this week," added Douty.
Over the upcoming weekend, the main storm track will lift even farther north in the Pacific Northwest, allowing precipitation in Washington, Idaho and northern Montana to be less intense.
Farther south, as the overall pattern slows and high pressure takes control, a different type of issue related to the weather could unfold.
"While it will be dry in many areas, foggy and hazy conditions could set in across some of the interior valleys in California and Salt Lake City as air becomes stagnant," said Douty, adding that some areas could have reduced air quality this week as a result.
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For the latest weather news check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch the AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeather Now is now available on your preferred streaming platform.
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