Rains Finally Easing Across the Northwest

A series of weather disturbances have produced rounds of moderate to heavy rainfall across the Pacific Northwest this week. The good news is that after days of unrelenting rains, a trend toward drier weather will begin today. 

While not a fully dry day, rainfall rates and intensity will ease across western Washington today. The heaviest of the rain will continue to take aim at the Cascade Mountains today, where moderate rain will fall before easing in the afternoon and evening. 

Still, locally 1 to 2 inches of rain can be expected today over the higher elevations of the Cascades. In the lower elevations, a general 0.5 to 1.0 inch of rain will still fall today. Numerous Flood Watches remain posted across western Washington, northern Idaho and northwestern Montana. Always remember to “Turn Around, Don’t Drown!” when flooding is possible, and to stay up to date with the latest updates for possible flood alerts. 

While isolated showers will remain possible through the weekend, most of the time will be dry as the jet stream, or a ribbon of fast-flowing air aloft that tends to steer weather systems, lifts northward and moves over British Columbia. This will steer any deeper plumes of moisture into western Canada. 

Be sure to download the WeatherBug app to stay up to date on the latest on this changing weather. It’s never too early to have a supply kit packed in case of inclement weather. A simple kit including a weather radio, water, blankets, batteries, and non-perishable food items will go a long way in the event of a power outage.