Avalanche Danger High as Rain Falls on Top of Recent Snowpack in Washington State and Beyond

A stubborn atmospheric river is continuing to spray the Pacific Northwest with loads of moisture in the form of both rain and snow depending on elevation. The moisture has triggered the risk of flash flooding in the low-lying areas and avalanches in the mountains. When will this stream of moisture shut off and how much precipitation can you expect in the meantime? Read on for all of the details.

Atmospheric River Turns it Up a Notch Across the Northwest

Forecasters are warning that the atmospheric river that has been anchored over the Northwest in recent days will turn it up a notch heading into the new week. The stream of moisture has been impacting the region with sporadic rounds of rainfall and snow since the end of last week. While the weekend brought slightly drier conditions to some areas, the fire hose of moisture will be activated again in the coming days.

The rain started to pick up again late Sunday, predicted to usher in an additional 1 - 2 inches of rain to the inland areas of Washington, Oregon, Northern California, western Montana, and northern Idaho through Wednesday. The coastal areas of the Northwest will pick up rainfall amounts in the range of 4 - 8 inches.

This rain has created flooded roadways, rock slides, mudslides, and more from western Washington and down into the northwestern corner of California throughout the weekend. The forecast of even more rain will certainly compound these risks into the middle part of the week.