Inches of Rain, High Winds to Whip Across Northwest US Through Sunday

By Brett Rathbun, AccuWeather.com Meteorologist

October 30,2015; 10:35PM,EDT

 

 

A powerful storm system will bring heavy rain and strong winds across the northwestern United States through the weekend.
"A potent storm laden with Pacific moisture will move into the Pacific Northwest on Friday and continue through the weekend," AccuWeather Meteorologist Dan Pydynowski said.
"The parade of storms will bring a flood threat through this weekend across much of western Washington, especially in the foothills and Cascade Mountains," he said.

Wet Conditions Return to Texas

Rain will be the heaviest across western Washington and northwestern Oregon and will impact the cities of Seattle and Portland, Oregon. Rain will also be heavy across southwest British Columbia, impacting Vancouver.
Multiple inches of rain may fall in some areas over the course of the storm.
"Rain amounts in excess of 8 inches are possible through the weekend and could lead to flooding, mudslides and a sharp rise on area rivers across the Washington Cascades," Pydynowski said.
Rain, along with falling leaves, could produce slick spots on roadways.

While the rain is needed across the Northwest, this stretch of heavy rain may ruin Halloween plans through the weekend.
Those traveling on Interstates 5 and 90 will need to use their windshield wipers at full force through this weekend and should stay alert for blinding downpours and ponding on roadways.
Drivers should slow down through any wet roadway to reduce the risk for hydroplaning.
Use AccuWeather Minutecast® for the minute-by-minute precipitation forecast for your area. Mobile users can also use their GPS location.
As this storm system slowly filters in cooler air, snow levels will decline through the weekend.
"Snow levels will be around 8,000 feet through Saturday before dropping closer to 4,500 feet on Sunday," Pydynowski said.
Rain will not be the only impact across the Northwest through the weekend. Strong winds will whip across the region through Sunday, producing dangerous travel conditions.

Winds could occasionally gust up to 50 mph from Seattle to Portland and Pendleton, Oregon, and Billings, Montana.
Winds could gust up to 60 mph along the Washington coast, the Cascade Mountains across Washington and Oregon and across the Rocky Mountains of Idaho and western Montana. Winds in the Lewis Range in western Montana could gust up to 80 mph.
Heavy rain combined with strong winds could lead to uprooted trees and the risk of sporadic power outages.
The wind and rain could lead to tough conditions for college football in Washington Saturday night. Washington State hosts No. 8 Stanford while the Washington Huskies welcome the Arizona Wildcats to Seattle.
RELATED:
Northwest Regional Radar
Current US Watches and Warnings
PHOTOS: Rare Flower Bloom Makes One of World's Driest Deserts Come to Life
This rain will fall over the regions of the Northwest thirsty for any rainfall according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
A parade of storms may bring much needed rain into the Northwest into the beginning of November, AccuWeather Meteorologist Ed Vallee said.
"The upcoming weather pattern through the first part of November favors additional storminess across the Northwest. As the month progresses, some rain may shift southward into Northern California."
This continuous pattern of storm systems across the Northwest may be short-lived heading into the winter season.
The AccuWeather Winter Forecast suggests that the storm track along the West coast will be more from California into the southern Plains, causing below-normal precipitation, in the form of both rain and snow, across the Northwest.
While there will still be storm systems bringing rain and snow to the Northwest, the activity is expected to be less frequent as other winters.
The dryness expected across the Northwest could eventually translate to building drought conditions if spring rain is not abundant.