Northwest braces for a fresh round of flooding rain, damaging winds from atmospheric river
A tumultuous weather pattern will continue to focus across the Northwest U.S. into early week, AccuWeather experts warn. As one atmospheric river funneling moisture into Washington, Oregon to Idaho and western Montana advances inland through the end of the weekend, another storm pushing into the region at the start of the workweek will channel another round of flooding rain, wind and high-elevation snowfall.
Communities along the Washington and Oregon coastline have already observed upwards of 2-3 inches of rain since Saturday as the first storm advanced into the region, with some locations cresting the 4-inch mark by Sunday morning. Forecasters highlight that additional rain is on the way as a secondary storm intensifies and pushes onto the coast.
Some locations along the Northwest coast are on track to observe more rain in a two-day period than they have observed so far this month.
"The Pacific Northwest is not getting a chance to breathe amid this active atmospheric river pattern. The advancing storm has strengthened rapidly offshore and will be spreading yet more rain to the already soaked region," explained AccuWeather Meteorologist Jacob Hinson.Have the app? Unlock AccuWeather Alerts™ with Premium+
"By the time the early week storm is done, total rainfall will rise to 3-8 inches from both storms in lower areas and greater than 16 inches in mountainous terrain. As a result, concerns for river flooding remains high, especially with the previous week's snow melting and contributing to runoff," added Hinson.
In addition to downpours impacting the coastal and foothill regions, forecasters also are highlighting a considerable danger for avalanches across the Washington Cascades over the upcoming days. The rounds of heavy rain soaking sloped areas weakly packed with snowfall could rapidly create a risk for avalanches from the upper elevations to the valley floors, and hikers are discouraged from venturing out given the stormy circumstances. While the peak risk is primarily on Sunday, a high risk can linger into early week in some locations.
Additional snowfall is expected as the next storm advances into the region on Monday, particularly across the Cascade Range.
"In the foothills of the Cascades, fresh rainfall totals can surpass 2 inches by Monday evening before the changeover to snow occurs between 3,000-4,000 feet. Snow levels will fall throughout the day on Monday before rising again on Tuesday, with Monday night providing the best chance for snow in the lower passes, like Snoqualmie Pass," noted AccuWeather Meteorologist Emma Belscher.
As the storm intensifies and pummels into the Northwest Coast on Monday, AccuWeather meteorologists warn that an atmospheric phenomenon called a 'sting jet' can occur.
A meteorological term that has been growing in popularity in the United Kingdom since the early 2000s, a "sting jet" is a small area of intense winds that can develop underneath low pressure systems, causing extensive wind damage. The formation looks like a bee's stinger or scorpion's tail on weather satellites, while "jet" is short for jet stream, a corridor of high winds high in the atmosphere.
"As this low pressure system rapidly strengthens, it will bring very strong wind gusts that parallel the coasts. We're expecting gusts of 60-80 mph along the coast, locations just inland and along the mountaintops. More sheltered cities like Seattle can observe gusts around 40-60 mph," noted Hinson.
The AccuWeather Local StormMax™ for peak wind gusts is 100 mph.
Hinson added that the highest gusts will likely be along the border between Washington and Oregon, where a possible sting jet could increase winds even further. Wind damage is likely during this event, with power outages and downed trees being the most common through Tuesday morning.
By Tuesday afternoon and evening, the storminess is expected to wane across the Northwest. Gusty winds will taper off and rain will cease across the region, leaving most locations dry through the remainder of the workweek.
Farther south, from Southern California into New Mexico, residents will be observing a much different weather pattern this week. Temperatures will be on the rise across the Four Corners and Desert Southwest, with some locations expected to crest the 90-degree mark for the first time this year.
Cities like Phoenix will be among some sites at risk for reaching 90 F, especially by midweek. So far this month, the closest they've come is 86 F in the first week.
A few locations will even be in jeopardy of tying or surpassing their daily temperature records, particularly by Wednesday.
Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts™ are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.
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