Rain returns to northwestern US in wake of dry, warm spell

By Renee Duff, AccuWeather.com Meteorologist

April 12,2016; 7:44PM,EDT

 

 

Following a week-long stretch of record warmth and sunshine, rain will continue to spread across the northwestern United States into Thursday.
The large area of high pressure that kept the region rain-free has shifted eastward, opening the door for storms to roll ashore this week.
"On-and-off rain is expected to last through Thursday," AccuWeather Meteorologist Brian Lada stated. "This could lead to some minor travel delays on the roads and at the airport."

Cities that can expect wet weather during this time period include Seattle, Spokane and Olympia, Washington; Portland, Eugene and Medford, Oregon; Boise, Idaho; and Billings, Bozeman and Great Falls, Montana.
Spotty thunderstorms may be embedded with the showers across parts of Idaho and Montana.
"The second storm on Wednesday can kick up wind gusts to 60 mph along the immediate coast, especially the southern Oregon coast, late in the day," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski said. "Gusts in excess of 50 mph will develop across and just east of the Sierra Wednesday night. This includes in Reno."
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"I also suspect that there will be isolated thunderstorms that roll onto the Oregon coast later Wednesday night."
Motorists should remain alert for slick spots as the dry weather has allowed oil to buildup on roadways.
Residents who may have put away rain jackets and umbrellas in light of the recent dry stretch will need to keep them handy this week.

Rain will dive farther south Wednesday night into Thursday, reaching locations such as Redding, Sacramento and San Francisco, California.
Accompanying the rainy weather will be cooler, but more seasonable temperatures.
The combination of clouds, rain and breezy conditions will make it feel quite chilly, especially since many of these locations flirted with or exceeded the 80-degree Fahrenheit mark last week.
Temperatures will drop low enough for snow to return to the Cascades and the northern Sierra.

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"Into Thursday night, there can be a few inches of snow in the higher mountain passes of the Cascades," Pydynowski said. "Motorists planning to travel on Willamette Pass should prepare for slick conditions at times."
"That is especially true at night and early in the morning. During the day, the snow has to fall heavily to overcome the strong April sun and stick to roadways."
Interstate 90's Snoqualmie Pass in Washington will generally be wet; however, AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Ken Clark is concerned for a slushy buildup for a time in any heavier bursts of snow.
Most of the unsettled weather will shift eastward on Friday, allowing drier and warmer weather to return to the region in time for the weekend. The storm will then bring a multi-day threat of flooding to the central U.S.
The wet weather will end the longest stretch of dry days in Seattle and Portland since October 2015.