Storms resume in the northwest after devastating floods and mudslides
Another train of storms is expected to race through hard-hit areas of the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia, Canada, this week.
Thousands of residents were displaced, forced to ration gas, and left stranded by damaged roads after a mighty atmospheric river triggered a once-in-500-year flood that devastated parts of Washington state and British Columbia last week. At least five total deaths have been reported across the United States and Canada as rescuers search the rubble caused by more than 10 inches (254 mm) of rain in some places.
The weekend ended quietly across the region, but the calm weather is not expected to last long. AccuWeather forecasters track multiple rounds of wet weather that may affect some of the same areas as last week.
The first storm will reach across the Pacific Northwest later Monday and slide into Intermountain West by Tuesday. Rain is likely to fall along the coast and in western parts, including Seattle, Vancouver, and British Columbia.
By Monday night, rain is expected to reach places like Portland and Medford, Oregon, and other inland areas, such as Spokane, Washington, and Kamloops, BC. On Tuesday, this storm is likely to combine with another area of low pressure from the southwestern United States to bring snow and snow into some of the Rocky Mountains, including Calgary, Alberta, and Missoula, Montana.
Forecasters predict that the second round will be the one to pay attention This storm will bring heavy rains, leading to flooding and increasing the risk of mudslides in the area.
"Multiple waves of moisture will lead to heavy rain in the Pacific Northwest later this week and into the weekend," said Dana Caron, a meteorologist with the AccuWeather Storm Warning Program. The storm could cause road closures and urban flooding.
For those in the United States, Thanksgiving will be a particularly humid holiday as several inches of rain may fall across western and northwestern Washington.
The Canadian side of the border may experience the worst or most widespread impacts, especially in places where flooding has already occurred. Abbotsford, British Columbia, Henry Brown, has extended a flood emergency until November 29, as the city rushes to rebuild the dam before incoming storms.
From Wednesday evening through Friday evening local time, one to two inches (25-50 mm) of precipitation is likely in Seattle, Vancouver, and Terrace, BC. Other than precipitation, another critical element in how dangerous this event is in its warmth.
"The higher temperatures associated with these systems will melt the Washington Cascades and the Canadian Rockies, increasing the potential for flooding," Caron said. This is expected to increase the flooding of rivers and streams. As was the case last week, if rivers or streams swell sufficiently, they may wash away roads or even bridges.
AccuWeather meteorologists considered the areas with the highest flood potential across the Olympic Peninsula, Vancouver Island, Northern Falls, and Coast Mountain regions from the US border to Terrace.
After this heavy rain event, warmer conditions will return next week, which could continue to melt snow across the mountains and exacerbate flood problems.
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