Atmospheric river to bring flooding rainfall, mountain snow to the Pacific Northwest Thanksgiving Week
Heavy rain, gusty winds and mountain snow from a powerful atmospheric river will disrupt Thanksgiving week travel across the Pacific Northwest.
AccuWeather’s Joe Lundberg was live on the AccuWeather Network on Nov. 21 to discuss what you can expect the weather to be like around the United States next week.
A potent storm fueled by an atmospheric river will target the Pacific Northwest this weekend, bringing widespread downpours from Medford, Oregon, through Spokane, Washington, and raising the risk of localized flooding.
Showers are forecast along the coasts of Washington and Oregon this weekend ahead of the main storm system. Showers will first reach the Seattle metro area on Saturday, spreading southward along the coast toward Eugene and Portland by Saturday night into Sunday. These showers may lower visibility and increase travel delays during the final weekend before the Thanksgiving holiday week.
Monday may turn out to be the best day for travel across the region amid a brief break in the wet weather. A few lingering showers are possible but will be more of a nuisance than a disruption.
Rain is forecast to become more widespread on Tuesday into Wednesday as the atmospheric river arrives. Gusty winds are also expected near the coast and in the higher elevations of the interior Northwest. Those with outdoor holiday decorations should secure them ahead of the breezy conditions, which could blow around unsecured objects.
A southward push of cold air from British Columbia will lead to accumulating snowfall across the highest elevations of northeastern Washington, northern Idaho and western Montana. While several inches of snow are possible at the highest peaks, snow levels are projected to remain mostly above heavily traveled passes through the Thanksgiving travel period.
Periods of heavy rain is forecast from Seattle to Portland on Thanksgiving morning before the storm advances inland later in the afternoon. This rainfall will extend into the Washington and Oregon mountains, with snow mixing in the higher elevations.
GET THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
•Have the app? Unlock AccuWeather Alerts™ with Premium+
Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts™ are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.
