Pacific Northwest Under the Gun for Rare Thunderstorm Activity

After a gorgeous Tuesday across much of the region, the Pacific Northwest is bracing for an onslaught of high winds, rain, and the chance of severe thunderstorms beginning on Wednesday. Here is a look at the volatile forecast for this corner of the nation.

Storm System Churning Just Off the Pacific Coast

A powerful storm will hug the Pacific coastline beginning Wednesday, presenting the threat of severe impacts to millions in its path. The system coming in from the Pacific will push to the north along the coast, reaching far enough inland to impact major metropolitan areas such as Seattle and Portland.

What will make the impacts most noticeable is that they will come on the heels of what ended up being the nicest day of the spring season thus far for the Northwest. Some areas of the region saw record-high temperatures on Tuesday with readings climbing well into the 70s.

Places such as Seattle, Tacoma, and Portland were all in line to challenge record highs as high pressure built over the area and plentiful sunshine pushed the real feel readings up further. While the warmer-than-average temperatures will hang on through Wednesday, a surge of energy will translate into the risk of severe storms at times.