Western Washington is bracing for dark, soggy and blustery weather this weekend. A weather pattern called an “atmospheric river” is ushering in sloppy, cloudy and unsettled conditions. Just like an actual river, an atmospheric river is a large, narrow band of moisture in the sky. It tends to trigger heavy rain events along the West Coast.
A Wind Advisory is in effect for the highlighted areas until 5 a.m. Saturday. In these areas, gusts to 45-50 mph could cause minor tree damage and power outages. Secure any outdoor Halloween decor! On-and-off wind is on the way this weekend. Be on alert for additional wind advisories that may be posted this weekend (potentially on Sunday).
Should any storm drains get clogged with leaves this weekend, we can’t rule out hyper-localized, minor street flooding where heavy rain falls. The most common experience in the region, however, will be that pooling and standing water on the roads could cause hydroplaning. Steady showers could drop visibility as well. Bottom line: rain could create some issues on the roads tonight through Sunday.
Overnight temperatures will tumble to the upper 40s to low 50s in the greater Seattle region. (FOX 13 Seattle)
Water levels on local rivers will be rising sharply, but the forecast models aren’t predicting any official river flooding right now. However, river models often struggle with accurately handling the first big weather event of the season. We’ll keep you posted on the latest. We also can’t rule out spotty, minor flooding of small streams where the highest amounts of rain are anticipated.
It won’t be raining constantly this weekend. Seattle and Tacoma may experience the “donut hole effect” where there’s less rain compared to the surrounding regions.
Between three to six inches of rain could fall this weekend over the North Coast and the Olympics. Upwards of three to four inches are possible in the North Cascades. Seattle, Tacoma and Olympia will have far less (maybe 0.5 to 1 inch) this weekend. …