Additional flood warnings issued as rain pours
Updated Thursday 10:30 p.m. to add in new Flood Warnings
SEATTLE -- Mai tai, anyone?
It might not look much like Hawaii out there, but we have stolen at least a part of their tropical weather -- as in some very warm moist air.
Yes, for those who have lived around here for a while, this is our infamous "Pineapple Express" pattern, named for the storms' origins near Hawaii.
The jet stream has dipped far to the south and tapped into that warm, tropical moisture. It will shuttle that moisture our way in the form of a series of rapid-fire storms, and they might carry enough rain to cause some river flooding.
Flood Warnings have now been issued for several rivers. As of 10:30 p.m., that list included the Skokomish, Bogachiel, Nooksack, Stillaguamish, Snoqualmie, and Tolt Rivers. All rivers are expected to be in the minor flooding category, except the Tolt which is in the moderate category.
Flood Watches remain in effect until late Friday night for mountain-fed rivers in King, Kitsap, Lewis, Pierce, Thurston, Clallam, Jefferson, Grays Harbor, Skagit, Whatcom, Mason and Snohomish Counties.
A flood watch means flooding is possible and is issued by county. A flood warning means flooding is imminent or observed, and is issued by river.
In addition, an urban and small stream flooding advisory is in effect for King, Pierce, Kitsap, Mason, Pierce, Snohomish and Thurston Counties.
(You can read all the latest warnings at this link. You might need to scroll down to find them as this is a smorgasbord of weather warnings.)
As of Thursday evening, storm totals were already running between 2.50 and 3.00" along the north coast with Sekiu reporting 3.70" between midnight and 5 p.m. In the lowlands, storm totals were about 1.00" to 2.00" as of 10 p.m., including the Puget Sound area. Hourly rainfall totals have been as high as a quarter to a third of an inch an hour.
Heavy rain will continue to fall overnight Thursday and through most of the day Friday before starting to taper off Friday evening.
Expected storm totals remain quite impressive -- by the time we get to Friday night, we could see about 6-8 inches along the Olympics and North Coast (like Forks) with some spots in the Olympics garnering 10 inches. The North Cascades could see 5-7", while even the lowlands around Seattle could see a full 1.50-2.50" of rain with isolated spots even higher.
Combined with all the stubborn fall leaves that will likely succumb to all that rain, we are also looking at potential urban flooding problems from clogged storm drains. So take it easy out there driving, and let the city know if you see a clogged drain that is causing flooding problems.
It'll also be steadily breezy through the two days, but not too windy. Winds along the coast and north interior are expected to gust to about 30-35 mph, with Puget Sound gusts in the 20-30 mph range. It'll also be quite mild both days, with highs in the upper 50s to low 60s.
Oh, but we're not done yet! Because after a brief break of just showers Saturday morning, one last storm rolls through. This one is just a period of steady light -- maybe moderate -- rain, but not what the mountains will need. It might, ironically, be a little bit windier -- maybe add 5-10mph to the gusts notes above.
We taper off to showers on Sunday and Monday, allowing the rivers to take a well-needed break. But another storm blows through on Tuesday and long range forecasts seem to suggest we won't be saying "Aloha" to the sunshine anytime soon...
SEATTLE -- Mai tai, anyone?
It might not look much like Hawaii out there, but we have stolen at least a part of their tropical weather -- as in some very warm moist air.
Yes, for those who have lived around here for a while, this is our infamous "Pineapple Express" pattern, named for the storms' origins near Hawaii.
The jet stream has dipped far to the south and tapped into that warm, tropical moisture. It will shuttle that moisture our way in the form of a series of rapid-fire storms, and they might carry enough rain to cause some river flooding.
Flood Warnings have now been issued for several rivers. As of 10:30 p.m., that list included the Skokomish, Bogachiel, Nooksack, Stillaguamish, Snoqualmie, and Tolt Rivers. All rivers are expected to be in the minor flooding category, except the Tolt which is in the moderate category.
Flood Watches remain in effect until late Friday night for mountain-fed rivers in King, Kitsap, Lewis, Pierce, Thurston, Clallam, Jefferson, Grays Harbor, Skagit, Whatcom, Mason and Snohomish Counties.
A flood watch means flooding is possible and is issued by county. A flood warning means flooding is imminent or observed, and is issued by river.
In addition, an urban and small stream flooding advisory is in effect for King, Pierce, Kitsap, Mason, Pierce, Snohomish and Thurston Counties.
(You can read all the latest warnings at this link. You might need to scroll down to find them as this is a smorgasbord of weather warnings.)
As of Thursday evening, storm totals were already running between 2.50 and 3.00" along the north coast with Sekiu reporting 3.70" between midnight and 5 p.m. In the lowlands, storm totals were about 1.00" to 2.00" as of 10 p.m., including the Puget Sound area. Hourly rainfall totals have been as high as a quarter to a third of an inch an hour.
Heavy rain will continue to fall overnight Thursday and through most of the day Friday before starting to taper off Friday evening.
Expected storm totals remain quite impressive -- by the time we get to Friday night, we could see about 6-8 inches along the Olympics and North Coast (like Forks) with some spots in the Olympics garnering 10 inches. The North Cascades could see 5-7", while even the lowlands around Seattle could see a full 1.50-2.50" of rain with isolated spots even higher.
Combined with all the stubborn fall leaves that will likely succumb to all that rain, we are also looking at potential urban flooding problems from clogged storm drains. So take it easy out there driving, and let the city know if you see a clogged drain that is causing flooding problems.
It'll also be steadily breezy through the two days, but not too windy. Winds along the coast and north interior are expected to gust to about 30-35 mph, with Puget Sound gusts in the 20-30 mph range. It'll also be quite mild both days, with highs in the upper 50s to low 60s.
Oh, but we're not done yet! Because after a brief break of just showers Saturday morning, one last storm rolls through. This one is just a period of steady light -- maybe moderate -- rain, but not what the mountains will need. It might, ironically, be a little bit windier -- maybe add 5-10mph to the gusts notes above.
We taper off to showers on Sunday and Monday, allowing the rivers to take a well-needed break. But another storm blows through on Tuesday and long range forecasts seem to suggest we won't be saying "Aloha" to the sunshine anytime soon...