Second Storm System of the Week Pushing Across the Northwest

After a brief respite from the rain and snow on Tuesday, the Pacific Northwest is preparing for another storm in the making. Here is a look at what you should expect with the second major storm system to hit this corner of the country this week.

New Storm System Arrives in the Northwest

Another storm system began to push into the northwestern U.S. late Tuesday, bringing the threat of more rain and snow to a large part of the region through at least Thursday. The influx of moisture will raise the risk of flooding after the early week storm saturated the grounds.

The first of the duo of storms came ashore to close out the weekend and lasted through early Tuesday. While the coastal areas saw rain and wind out of this event, the higher terrains of Cascades picked up measurable snow. This is the time of the year when the Northwest begins to get hit by storms that originate out in the Pacific Ocean. The early week event was the most significant and widespread storm of the season thus far.

Forecasters are warning that several feet of snowfall is on the horizon for the high country by the time that the system moves out late Thursday. Snow levels are expected to rise early in the storm's lifespan, meaning that the passes will see mostly rain to start. In addition to heavy rain, the mountainous terrain will see the chance of fog and rockslides.

The lower elevations of the Northwest should expect significant rainfall out of this storm. The west-facing slopes of the Cascades, the Olympics, and the Coast Ranges will take the brunt of the rain with 4 to 8 inches in the forecast through Thursday night. Localized amounts of up to a foot of rain are possible. This is more than enough moisture to trigger flash flooding.

Forecast for the Major Cities in the Region

The major cities in the Pacific Northwest are bracing for a soggy few days. Seattle is forecast to pick up 1.50 to 2 inches of rain in total from both systems. Down the road in Portland, you can expect a cumulative rainfall total for the week of 1 to 1.50 inches.

Although these metro areas are not likely to experience flooding as the result of the two storms, it will be enough rain to create travel delays up and down the heavily travelled Interstate 5 corridor and other roadways in the region. The high winds will also pair with the wind to create likely airline delays at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

Temperatures will remain seasonable on the front side of the storm. For instance, Seattle will see highs in the low to mid 50s on Wednesday and Thursday with overnight lows dipping into the upper to mid 40s. However, the second part of the system will usher in cooler readings. Seattle will top out with highs in the upper 40s on Friday with the mercury expected to struggle to break the 50-degree mark throughout the weekend.

Snow levels will likely fall a bit overnight Wednesday and into Thursday in Washington and Oregon. This will result in some snow mixing in with the rain along the busy Snoqualmie Pass on Interstate 90 in Washington.