More wet weather on the way for drenched, cold Northwest
By
Mary Gilbert, AccuWeather meteorologist
Updated Nov 18, 2020 3:03 PM EDT
Crowds gathered to watch and photograph large waves during king tides at Cape Disappointment, Washington, on Nov. 15.
After two quick-hitting systems back-to-back to end the week, rounds of unsettled weather will continue to affect the Northwest through at least midweek.
The first storm system to impact the northwestern United States brought heavy rain and mountain snow to the region into the early weekend, while the second system arrived shortly after the first departed.
The second system tracked east over the eastern Pacific Ocean and pushed into southern British Columbia, Canada, late Saturday afternoon. Periods of rain began across the coastal Pacific Northwest as a warm front associated with this system nosed into the area.
By Saturday evening, a potent cold front swept in right behind this warm front and brought a threat for heavy rain to lower elevations and heavy snow to higher elevations across the Northwest and the northern Rockies that lasted through Sunday.
As was the pattern over the weekend, many locations did not have adequate time to dry out before yet another system approached the Northwestern states on Monday.
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While late fall into early winter is typically the wettest time of the year for the region, heavy rain is still likely to cause quite a few issues for the Northwestern states.
This same storm system pushed closer to the coast on Tuesday and triggered yet another soggy day for many.
A cold front sweeping through the region led to rounds of rain and high-elevation snow through Tuesday night for much of the Northwest and the northern Rockies. Even Northern and central California got in on the action on Tuesday with rain in San Francisco, where just over a tenth of an inch fell and showers reached as far south as Cambria, California.
Strong winds also blasted parts of the region Tuesday as the center of the storm system strengthened and approached southwestern British Columbia. The strongest winds from this system occurred at the coast and in the higher elevations from California and Nevada to Montana.
At the coast as well as in some mountain locations, frequent wind gusts of 50-70 buffeted Northern California to northwestern Washington. The windiest locations, mainly at high elevation, saw wind gusts roar over 100 mph. Wind gusts of this magnitude are powerful enough to contribute to coastal flooding, especially around high tide, as well as lead to downed trees and power lines. Even interior portions of Oregon saw wind gusts of 35-45 mph as well.
Around 10,000 were without power in Washington early Tuesday afternoon as wind-whipped rain pelted the region, according to PowerOutage.us. By Wednesday morning, as the winds subsided, just over 1,000 customers were still in the dark in Washington.
Moisture from this system will persist across the northwestern U.S. through at least Wednesday. On Wednesday, another cold front will push from the Pacific coast through the Pacific Northwest. This front will interact with the leftover moisture from the early week storm system and prompt another soggy day for the Northwest, especially at the coast.
This week will really start to sound like a broken record weather-wise on Wednesday as showers target the lower elevations and snow once again targets the higher elevations. Unlike earlier in the week, accumulating snowfall will be able to reach much farther south.
Snow levels will fall to around 6,000 to 7,000 feet across the central Sierra and as low as 5,000 feet in the northern Sierra. Above these levels, which include Donner Pass, 6-12 inches of snow can fall.
"Travel could get tricky along Interstate 80 up and over the Sierras Tuesday night and Wednesday." said AccuWeather Meteorologist Jake Sojda. "The snow will also be combined with gusty winds in the Sierras, leading to even worse visibility along with the already slippery roads and falling snow."
Localized snowfall of 1-2 feet will also be possible where the heaviest snow falls in the Sierra. Ski resorts will enjoy the fresh powder as they look forward to getting the season started.
More snow will also bury parts of the Cascades again Tuesday night into Thursday. Snow levels will generally fall to around 2,000 to 3,000 feet by Wednesday in the Cascades. Over the 2-day period, many places in the mountains will see at least and additional foot or more of fresh snow. Travelers through passes like Stevens and Snoqualmie will once again have to be prepared for hazardous winter weather.
While much of the first half of the week will be dreary and soggy for many, any rain and snow that falls will be beneficial for much of the Northwest and portions of California, especially where significant drought remains in place. Much of Oregon and Northern California are still in the midst of severe to extreme drought, according to the United States Drought Monitor, but days of unsettled weather are a step in the right direction.
Late in the week, a more extended reprieve from the rain and snow finally looks to be in the offing for the Northwest.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo
News / Winter Weather
More wet weather on the way for drenched, cold Northwest
By Mary Gilbert, AccuWeather meteorologist
Updated Nov 18, 2020 3:03 PM EDT
Crowds gathered to watch and photograph large waves during king tides at Cape Disappointment, Washington, on Nov. 15.
After two quick-hitting systems back-to-back to end the week, rounds of unsettled weather will continue to affect the Northwest through at least midweek.
The first storm system to impact the northwestern United States brought heavy rain and mountain snow to the region into the early weekend, while the second system arrived shortly after the first departed.
The second system tracked east over the eastern Pacific Ocean and pushed into southern British Columbia, Canada, late Saturday afternoon. Periods of rain began across the coastal Pacific Northwest as a warm front associated with this system nosed into the area.
By Saturday evening, a potent cold front swept in right behind this warm front and brought a threat for heavy rain to lower elevations and heavy snow to higher elevations across the Northwest and the northern Rockies that lasted through Sunday.
As was the pattern over the weekend, many locations did not have adequate time to dry out before yet another system approached the Northwestern states on Monday.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
While late fall into early winter is typically the wettest time of the year for the region, heavy rain is still likely to cause quite a few issues for the Northwestern states.
This same storm system pushed closer to the coast on Tuesday and triggered yet another soggy day for many.
A cold front sweeping through the region led to rounds of rain and high-elevation snow through Tuesday night for much of the Northwest and the northern Rockies. Even Northern and central California got in on the action on Tuesday with rain in San Francisco, where just over a tenth of an inch fell and showers reached as far south as Cambria, California.
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Strong winds also blasted parts of the region Tuesday as the center of the storm system strengthened and approached southwestern British Columbia. The strongest winds from this system occurred at the coast and in the higher elevations from California and Nevada to Montana.
At the coast as well as in some mountain locations, frequent wind gusts of 50-70 buffeted Northern California to northwestern Washington. The windiest locations, mainly at high elevation, saw wind gusts roar over 100 mph. Wind gusts of this magnitude are powerful enough to contribute to coastal flooding, especially around high tide, as well as lead to downed trees and power lines. Even interior portions of Oregon saw wind gusts of 35-45 mph as well.
Around 10,000 were without power in Washington early Tuesday afternoon as wind-whipped rain pelted the region, according to PowerOutage.us. By Wednesday morning, as the winds subsided, just over 1,000 customers were still in the dark in Washington.
Moisture from this system will persist across the northwestern U.S. through at least Wednesday. On Wednesday, another cold front will push from the Pacific coast through the Pacific Northwest. This front will interact with the leftover moisture from the early week storm system and prompt another soggy day for the Northwest, especially at the coast.
This week will really start to sound like a broken record weather-wise on Wednesday as showers target the lower elevations and snow once again targets the higher elevations. Unlike earlier in the week, accumulating snowfall will be able to reach much farther south.
Snow levels will fall to around 6,000 to 7,000 feet across the central Sierra and as low as 5,000 feet in the northern Sierra. Above these levels, which include Donner Pass, 6-12 inches of snow can fall.
"Travel could get tricky along Interstate 80 up and over the Sierras Tuesday night and Wednesday." said AccuWeather Meteorologist Jake Sojda. "The snow will also be combined with gusty winds in the Sierras, leading to even worse visibility along with the already slippery roads and falling snow."
Localized snowfall of 1-2 feet will also be possible where the heaviest snow falls in the Sierra. Ski resorts will enjoy the fresh powder as they look forward to getting the season started.
More snow will also bury parts of the Cascades again Tuesday night into Thursday. Snow levels will generally fall to around 2,000 to 3,000 feet by Wednesday in the Cascades. Over the 2-day period, many places in the mountains will see at least and additional foot or more of fresh snow. Travelers through passes like Stevens and Snoqualmie will once again have to be prepared for hazardous winter weather.
While much of the first half of the week will be dreary and soggy for many, any rain and snow that falls will be beneficial for much of the Northwest and portions of California, especially where significant drought remains in place. Much of Oregon and Northern California are still in the midst of severe to extreme drought, according to the United States Drought Monitor, but days of unsettled weather are a step in the right direction.
Late in the week, a more extended reprieve from the rain and snow finally looks to be in the offing for the Northwest.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo