Storms to frequent northwestern US with rain, wind through the weekend

By Renee Duff, AccuWeather meteorologist

March 8,2017, 2:55:21PM,EST

 

 

The stormy pattern that has plagued the northwestern United States so far this winter will continue through at least the weekend.
At least three storms will crash ashore from late this week into early next week. A resurgence of rain, mountain snow and blustery conditions will accompany each storm.
“The jet stream, which is a river of fast-moving air aloft in the atmosphere, is expected to be positioned over the northwestern U.S.,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Jordan Root said.
This will guide one storm after the other into the Pacific Northwest.

The next round of persistent rain and snow is poised to spread across coastal Washington and Oregon late on Thursday into Thursday night.
Accumulating snow from the storm will spread as far inland as Great Falls, Billings and Miles City, Montana, by Friday.
Another storm will aim slightly farther north during late on Saturday into Sunday, mostly sparing southern Oregon through southern Idaho.
Most areas can expect a 12- to 24-hour dry period in between the late week storm and the weekend storm.
Travel disruptions will mount with each round of stormy weather.
Motorists along Interstate 5 from Seattle to Portland and Eugene, Oregon, will face times of slower-than-normal travel and reduced visibility. Portions of Interstate 90 from Snoqualmie Pass in Washington to Butte, Montana, will likely be snow covered and treacherous.
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“The Cascades and Bitterroots will have their fair share of snow with several feet possible by the end of the week,” Root said.
The storm track will remain well north of California, allowing the state to continue to dry out and recover after the deluge during January and February. At most, rain could reach as far south as Eureka, California, during the succession of storms through the weekend.
There are indications that storms could return to Northern California, including near the Oroville Dam, towards the middle and latter half of next week.

Prolonged breaks from rain and snow have been few and far between across the Northwestern states this season.
The wintry weather has not remained confined to the highest elevations, with Seattle and Portland both receiving an impressive amount of snow and ice compared to normal.
Even more typical, high-elevation snowy areas are running well above average in terms of snowfall. Spokane, Washington; Missoula, Montana; and Pocatello, Idaho, have received 157, 212 and 295 percent of their normal snowfall since Dec. 1, 2016, respectively.