Get set to get wet -- really wet
SEATTLE -- 'Tis the season to be soggy...
Despite the sunshine around the region Wednesday, Western Washington is about to get soaked as we get into a bit of a "Pineapple Express" pattern.
The jet stream has dipped far to the south and tapped into some warm, tropical moisture. It'll then shuttle that moisture our way in the form of four rapid-fire storms, and they might carry enough rain to cause some river flooding.
A Flood Watch is now in effect from Thursday evening through Friday night for all rivers that flow off the Olympic and North Cascade Mountains. That includes the rivers in Clallam, Jefferson, Grays Harbor, Skagit, Whatcom, Mason and Snohomish Counties.
(A Flood Watch means flooding is possible. If flooding becomes imminent or observed, then it would be changed to a Flood Warning.)
The first storm is expected to start moving into southwestern Washington just after midnight, and rain will spread into the Seattle area in the few hours before dawn Thursday. Steady moderate to heavy rain will then fall through the day, likely making for a miserable commute on both ends. (So, this is your heads up to maybe go download some new songs off the internet for your car radio, and see if that extra large coffee mug will fit in your cup holders.)
The bulk of the first storm begins to move away Thursday evening, perhaps bringing a very brief decrease in rain before a second impulse quickly follows inland and keeps the rain going overnight and into Friday. That means another likely extended trip on the freeways -- hope your MP3 player has some extra room.
The second pulse begins to move away around mid-morning Friday -- and is quickly overrun by the third storm racing inland. Since these storms don't have name tags, you'll hardly know the difference between the three -- it'll just basically keep raining the entire time.
Storm totals by Friday night are expected to be quite impressive -- about 5-8 inches along the Olympics and North Coast (like Forks) with some spots in the Olympics garnering 10 inches. The North Cascades could see 3-6", while even the lowlands around Seattle could see a full 1-2" of rain.
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.
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 keep more of the same through next week. So as we said -- 'tis the season!
Despite the sunshine around the region Wednesday, Western Washington is about to get soaked as we get into a bit of a "Pineapple Express" pattern.
The jet stream has dipped far to the south and tapped into some warm, tropical moisture. It'll then shuttle that moisture our way in the form of four rapid-fire storms, and they might carry enough rain to cause some river flooding.
A Flood Watch is now in effect from Thursday evening through Friday night for all rivers that flow off the Olympic and North Cascade Mountains. That includes the rivers in Clallam, Jefferson, Grays Harbor, Skagit, Whatcom, Mason and Snohomish Counties.
(A Flood Watch means flooding is possible. If flooding becomes imminent or observed, then it would be changed to a Flood Warning.)
The first storm is expected to start moving into southwestern Washington just after midnight, and rain will spread into the Seattle area in the few hours before dawn Thursday. Steady moderate to heavy rain will then fall through the day, likely making for a miserable commute on both ends. (So, this is your heads up to maybe go download some new songs off the internet for your car radio, and see if that extra large coffee mug will fit in your cup holders.)
The bulk of the first storm begins to move away Thursday evening, perhaps bringing a very brief decrease in rain before a second impulse quickly follows inland and keeps the rain going overnight and into Friday. That means another likely extended trip on the freeways -- hope your MP3 player has some extra room.
The second pulse begins to move away around mid-morning Friday -- and is quickly overrun by the third storm racing inland. Since these storms don't have name tags, you'll hardly know the difference between the three -- it'll just basically keep raining the entire time.
Storm totals by Friday night are expected to be quite impressive -- about 5-8 inches along the Olympics and North Coast (like Forks) with some spots in the Olympics garnering 10 inches. The North Cascades could see 3-6", while even the lowlands around Seattle could see a full 1-2" of rain.
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.
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 keep more of the same through next week. So as we said -- 'tis the season!
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