Stormy Weather to Persist in Northwest

April 23, 2014; 10:00PM,EDT

 

 

A slow-moving low pressure system will make residents of the Northwest reach for their raincoats and umbrellas each day through the remainder of the week.
Those with outdoor plans should prepare for the wet weather and have a backup plan in the case that heavy rain forces a washout.
People should also be on the lookout for flooding as this system drops several inches of rain across the region; the heaviest of which will be falling along the coasts of Washington and Oregon.

Locations most susceptible to flooding include low-lying and poor drainage areas.
Rain will be the primary weather seen from this system; however, snow will be the story over the Cascades, northern Rockies and even portions of the Sierras.
This can cause difficult travel through the mountains as snow levels fluctuate between 3,000 and 6,000 feet through Friday.
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Although the steadiest rain will focus over the Northwest, moisture from this system is expected to slowly shift southward by the end of the week.
This means rainfall for areas of California and Nevada currently in an extreme drought.
Even though rain will not be as steady over these areas as farther north, it could result in the first measurable rainfall for cities such as Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento and Fresno, since early April.

In addition to the wet weather, winds will kick up over the interior Southwest on Friday and into Saturday as the storm moves onshore.
Winds can exceed 50 mph across the region, and combined with the already dry conditions, result in a heightened risk of wildfires.
Strong winds can lead to dust storms, reducing visibility and making for difficult travel for several hours.

Drier weather looks to make a brief return across the West Coast heading into the weekend; however, another system may bring rain to the Northwest once again by the end of Saturday.

On Social Media

Tweets for this articleAccuWeather Updates

Don Asta Weather

DonaldAsta

Since the severe weather system for this weekend is moving slow it spells big trouble meaning that its getting stronger.

10h

Michael P. Nepa

MichaelPNepa

my watch it will happen. They make me sick. Now moving on to the weather. The weather last night was more rain and wind then anything else.

4h

James Quinones

JamesQuinones

A strong low pressure system will Bring rain, snow, wind & cooler weather to th