Storms to continue pummeling Northwest through end of the week
By
Ryan Adamson, AccuWeather meteorologist
Updated Feb 26, 2021 6:30 PM EDT
On Feb. 21, heavy snow fell on Stevens Pass in Skykomish, Washington, much to many skiers delight.
Following a brief break from the recent stormy stretch in the Northwest Wednesday, Mother Nature has resumed the onslaught of precipitation and wind in the northwestern United States.
Trailing moisture and disturbances following a storm that moved onshore Wednesday night are forecast to continue to affect the region with locally gusty winds, low-elevation rain and mountain snow into Friday night.
The strong winds will be due to the pressure gradient, or difference in pressure, between an area of high pressure to the south and the incoming low pressure. These winds will present several hazards over a large area.
This image, captured on Friday, Feb. 26, 2021, shows a swath of clouds extending from the Gulf of Alaska to the northwest to the northern Rockies to the southeast. (CIRA at Colorado State/GOES-West)
"Strong winds with frequent gusts of 30-50 mph are likely with this storm system, including areas east of the Cascades and into the northern and central Rockies," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Renee Duff.
While rainfall is not expected to be heavy enough to cause flooding, precipitation falling as snow in the mountains are projected to reach several feet over the high country.
Besides the heavy accumulation of snow, the wind will add to the difficult travel.
"Where snow is falling, these blustery conditions will act to further reduce visibility and lead to hazardous driving conditions," Duff said.
Anyone traveling through the passes in the Cascades will need to exercise extreme caution and may even want to consider postponing travel if possible. Snow has been a common theme during this active pattern, and many of the same passes will be affected again.
"Another round of treacherous travel is in store along Interstate 90's Snoqualmie Pass, where a total of 2-3 feet of snow is expected to fall from the storm spanning Wednesday night through Friday evening," Duff said.
"Motorists with plans to travel over the mountain pass should expect chain requirements to be in place due to snow-covered roadways as well as possible closures," Duff added.
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Even in places where only light to moderate rainfall is expected, the winds will still be a factor.
"Some locations could contend with localized damage and power outages where the strongest winds blow," Duff stated.
By Friday night, this system should move farther inland and fall apart. The weekend is expected to be tranquil, although a coastal rain shower or mountain snow shower cannot be ruled out in Washington Sunday.
There is the possibility of another storm with rain and snow on Monday. However, another scenario may steer that storm away from the Northwest and perhaps allow that early-week storm to drop southward, offshore of Washington and Oregon.
Whether or not that storm comes to fruition, the rest of next week through at least Thursday is expected to be dry, with the possible exception of far northwestern Washington. This will give the storm-weary region a chance to catch a respite.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier, Spectrum, Fubo, and Verizon Fios.
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News / Winter Weather
Storms to continue pummeling Northwest through end of the week
By Ryan Adamson, AccuWeather meteorologist
Updated Feb 26, 2021 6:30 PM EDT
On Feb. 21, heavy snow fell on Stevens Pass in Skykomish, Washington, much to many skiers delight.
Following a brief break from the recent stormy stretch in the Northwest Wednesday, Mother Nature has resumed the onslaught of precipitation and wind in the northwestern United States.
Trailing moisture and disturbances following a storm that moved onshore Wednesday night are forecast to continue to affect the region with locally gusty winds, low-elevation rain and mountain snow into Friday night.
The strong winds will be due to the pressure gradient, or difference in pressure, between an area of high pressure to the south and the incoming low pressure. These winds will present several hazards over a large area.
This image, captured on Friday, Feb. 26, 2021, shows a swath of clouds extending from the Gulf of Alaska to the northwest to the northern Rockies to the southeast. (CIRA at Colorado State/GOES-West)
"Strong winds with frequent gusts of 30-50 mph are likely with this storm system, including areas east of the Cascades and into the northern and central Rockies," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Renee Duff.
While rainfall is not expected to be heavy enough to cause flooding, precipitation falling as snow in the mountains are projected to reach several feet over the high country.
Besides the heavy accumulation of snow, the wind will add to the difficult travel.
"Where snow is falling, these blustery conditions will act to further reduce visibility and lead to hazardous driving conditions," Duff said.
Anyone traveling through the passes in the Cascades will need to exercise extreme caution and may even want to consider postponing travel if possible. Snow has been a common theme during this active pattern, and many of the same passes will be affected again.
"Another round of treacherous travel is in store along Interstate 90's Snoqualmie Pass, where a total of 2-3 feet of snow is expected to fall from the storm spanning Wednesday night through Friday evening," Duff said.
"Motorists with plans to travel over the mountain pass should expect chain requirements to be in place due to snow-covered roadways as well as possible closures," Duff added.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
Even in places where only light to moderate rainfall is expected, the winds will still be a factor.
"Some locations could contend with localized damage and power outages where the strongest winds blow," Duff stated.
By Friday night, this system should move farther inland and fall apart. The weekend is expected to be tranquil, although a coastal rain shower or mountain snow shower cannot be ruled out in Washington Sunday.
There is the possibility of another storm with rain and snow on Monday. However, another scenario may steer that storm away from the Northwest and perhaps allow that early-week storm to drop southward, offshore of Washington and Oregon.
Whether or not that storm comes to fruition, the rest of next week through at least Thursday is expected to be dry, with the possible exception of far northwestern Washington. This will give the storm-weary region a chance to catch a respite.
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Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier, Spectrum, Fubo, and Verizon Fios.
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