Go Back
Massive weekend storm to pack a punch for millions in eastern half of US. Click for details. Chevron right

Ashburn, VA

41°F
Location Chevron down
Location News Videos
Use Current Location
Recent

Ashburn

Virginia

41°
No results found.
Try searching for a city, zip code or point of interest.
settings Let's Chat
Ashburn, VA Weather
Today WinterCast Local {stormName} Tracker Hourly Daily Radar MinuteCast Monthly Air Quality Health & Activities

Around the Globe

Hurricane Tracker

Severe Weather

Radar & Maps

News

News & Features

Astronomy

Business

Climate

Health

Recreation

Sports

Travel

Video

Winter Center

Top Stories AccuWeather Early AccuWeather Prime Astronomy Climate Travel Health Recreation Business Sports

News / Weather Forecasts

Soaking storm ends Seattle’s record dry streak

By Renee Duff, AccuWeather meteorologist

Published Nov 21, 2022 12:04 PM EST | Updated Nov 25, 2022 11:54 AM EST

Copied

As the jet stream dips south, a storm system will deliver rain and mountain snow to the Northwest, ending a record-setting dry streak for some locations.

AccuWeather meteorologists are tracking a quick-hitting storm that will dish out disruptive rain and snow for Thanksgiving holiday travelers across the Northwest while also sweeping away the stagnant air that has persisted for days.

The storm ended a record-breaking dry streak in Seattle during a month that is historically the city's wettest with an average of 6.31 inches. Sunday tied the record for the longest November dry stretch in the Emerald City -- 13 days set in 2000. Monday tipped 2022 into the lead with 14 consecutive days with no measurable rainfall spanning Nov. 8-21.

The rainless streak came to an end on Tuesday morning. After 0.12 of an inch of rain fell at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport from 6 to 10 a.m. local time, a full inch fell between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. local time.

A persistent area of high pressure has led to unusually dry conditions by steering storms away from the region. The result of the weeks of stagnant weather has been a buildup of pollutants near the surface, contributing to widespread poor air quality across the Pacific Northwest.

On this radar image captured at midday on Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022, a storm from the Pacific can be seen pushing inland over the Northwest.

"On Monday, the high kept winds very low and led to widespread air stagnation across the area. However, a storm system that moved into the region Tuesday brought some changes," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Heather Zehr said.

Zehr pointed out that winds were increasing along the Northwest coast as the storm tracked into the region on Tuesday. Along coastal regions, the uptick in winds helped to whisk away the pollutants and reduce the risk to those with respiratory illnesses who ventured outdoors.

Although it will be safer to breathe outside as the air quality improves, AccuWeather meteorologists say wet weather moving in with the storm will greatly limit the opportunity for people to enjoy the outdoors and could also cause further headaches for Thanksgiving travelers.

"In addition to the storm vastly improving the air quality over the region, there were also some disruptions for holiday travelers," Zehr said. "Rain was locally heavy on Tuesday, reducing visibility on roadways."

GET THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP

Have the app? Unlock AccuWeather Alerts™ with Premium+

Although the bulk of the rain targeted western Washington into the Seattle metro area, areas as far south as Portland (0.28 of an inch of rain) were impacted.

"Due to the recent dry weather, no flooding was expected; however, temporary ponding of water on roadways was a concern," Zehr said.

The storm was in and out of the area in a quick manner, limiting the worst impacts to a six- to 12-hour period.

In the wake of the storm, conditions are trending drier and milder as another area of high pressure builds into the region, leading to quiet weather for Wednesday travelers and Turkey Day itself. Any area snow showers on Wednesday will be limited to the Rocky Mountains farther inland.

By Friday, the next storm will be knocking on the doorstep of the Northwest, and AccuWeather meteorologists say this will be the start of a much stormier and colder pattern overall for the West heading into early next week.

The storm due to track in this weekend will bring colder air and lowering snow levels. Even though a huge amount of snow is not expected to fall this weekend, enough can occur to create slippery driving conditions for those venturing over the passes in the Cascades on Saturday and Sunday.

In other news:

Ski season is underway: See where the best conditions are expected
5 wild stats from the blockbuster lake-effect snowstorm in New York
The top 10 Thanksgiving travel destinations in 2022

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.

Report a Typo

Top Stories

Weather Forecasts

Massive weekend storm to pack a punch for millions in eastern US

Dec. 7, 2023
video

How the Pearl Harbor National Memorial will honor the day that lives o...

Dec. 6, 2023
Weather Forecasts

October or December? Unusual warmth to near records in Plains, Midwest

Dec. 7, 2023
Show more Show less Chevron down

Topics

Top Stories

AccuWeather Early

AccuWeather Prime

Astronomy

Climate

Travel

Health

Recreation

Business

Sports

Top Stories

Weather Forecasts

Massive weekend storm to pack a punch for millions in eastern US

6 hours ago

Business

State of emergency in Seychelles as massive explosion causes chaos

12 hours ago

Severe Weather

Severe storms to roar from Mississippi Valley to Atlantic coast

6 hours ago

Climate

2023 will officially be the hottest year on record, scientists report

13 hours ago

Weather News

Winter storm to bring travel trouble, over a foot of snow to the Rocki...

9 hours ago

More Stories

Featured Stories

Weather’s impact on the attack on Pearl Harbor

Dec 20, 2022 1:43

Weather News

Hero miners who helped rescue men from tunnel fear being forgotten

1 day ago

Severe Weather

More than 300 killed as heavy rains wreak havoc across East Africa

2 days ago

Weather News

Before birds appeared, mystery animals walked on birdlike feet

3 days ago

Travel

Almost half the men surveyed think they could land a passenger plane

1 day ago

AccuWeather Weather Forecasts Soaking storm ends Seattle’s record dry streak
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
© 2023 AccuWeather, Inc. "AccuWeather" and sun design are registered trademarks of AccuWeather, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information checkmark Confirmed Not Selling Your Data

We have updated our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

I Understand

Get AccuWeather alerts as they happen with our browser notifications.

Notifications Enabled

Thanks! We’ll keep you informed.

Let's Chat –
AccuAssistant™
ComScore