Heavy rains continue to batter western Washington
There could be upwards of 2 to 5 inches of rain in the lowlands and the Cascades today through Tuesday morning.
SEATTLE – It’s a messy Monday for sure and that’s why the FOX Weather Crew 13 is keeping us under weather alerts until Tuesday as a plume of moisture continues to pump in western Washington.
Expect widespread showers today and at this point Seattle is heading towards setting a daily total precipitation record (record expected to break 1.46″). The rain will stay with us through the start of Wednesday before this last atmospheric river leaves the region.
Expect warmer temperatures accompanied by heavy rain at times across the strait and mountains. Rivers in the area will become stressed as snowmelt flows into the lowlands.
A “Flood Monitoring” will remain in effect until Wednesday afternoon for most counties in the region.
A “Flood Warning” also in force for some rivers. We are monitoring Mason County and the Skokomish River near Potlatch today as this part of the river is expected to peak later in the evening through tonight.
We are also seeing waters rising and rising rapidly in King County with the Snoqualmie near Carnation pushing to major flood levels. And finally, the Snohomish River is another waterway that is high.
The mountains are struggling to stay open and safe as snow levels hover between 6,500 and 7,000 feet.
As of 11 a.m. Monday, Stevens Pass and Snoqualmie Pass are closed due to the threat of avalanches and hazardous conditions. Crews will continue to work and assess the situation later this afternoon. Be prepared for the pass to remain closed until tomorrow as heavy rain will fall for much of the day.
Here’s a look at the rain totals through Wednesday evening. Some places could see over two inches of rain in the bucket. Allow extra time on the roads, as puddles and hydroplaning will be a problem as long as the rain continues to fall. Look for rising creeks, creeks, and puddles to create problem communities around Puget Sound.
The rain will turn to showers Tuesday evening. Highs will also be slightly warmer, landing in the mid-50s.
As conditions begin to ease mid-week, much of our warnings will disappear, but the unstable weather will remain with us. There is a slight chance of thunderstorm activity on Tuesday and Wednesday. Highs will fall in the upper 40s.
As we progress through the weekend showers will become just scattered Thursday and Friday with some drying on Saturday and Sunday! Stay tuned!
Have a nice day and stay dry! ~Erin Mayovsky, FOX13 Forecaster
