Weekend Weather Maker Igniting Thunderstorms Across the Pacific Northwest
Alexis Thornton
3 months agoA powerful storm system is pummeling the Northwest this weekend in a rare burst of summertime activity for this corner of the country. While the moisture will not stick around long, the high wind impacts will raise the risk of wildfires in areas farther east in the coming days. This is what you need to know about this volatile weather in the Wild Wild West.
Western Washington and Oregon Under Gun for Thunderstorms This Weekend
This is not typically the time of the year when storms spin up from the Pacific Ocean and send heavy rain across the Northwest. However, parts of the region are gearing up for a rash of thunderstorms late Saturday through Sunday. The weather maker is unleashing areas of torrential rain, strong winds, and other severe impacts to western Washington and Oregon. The Interstate 5 corridor is usually protected from persistent thunderstorms, making this event a rarity and prompting local officials to warn residents to be prepared.
The storms will also train over an area with widespread burn scars from recent wildfires. These burn scars will be the conduit for potential mudslides as the dry ground will not be able to take on the heavy amounts of moisture associated with these storm cells.
The severe storms could impact much of the Interstate 5 corridor, including the major metropolitan areas of Seattle and Portland. The risk will push to the east and over the Cascade Mountains. The forecast is also predicting that the activity could creep as far north as the northwestern edge of Washington and as far south as Northern California.
August is not generally a wet month for the Northwest. Seattle and Olympia both measure less than 1 inch of precipitation over the course of the entire month. Heading farther south, Portland only sees about half of an inch of rain in August while the college town of Eugene, Oregon picks up less than 0.40 of an inch over the month on average.
Motorists using the busy I-5 corridor will want to be aware of the possibility of slick roads and ponding. Be sure to leave yourself plenty of time for travel.
After dodging storms late Saturday, Seattle will wake up to clouds early in the day Sunday with some of the light rain showers potentially sticking around. Sun is expected later in the afternoon, helping to bring the high temperature readings up into the mid 70s. It will be slightly breezy with winds coming from the south-southwest at speeds of 10 to 15 mph. The mercury will slip all the way into the upper 50s after the sun goes down on the Emerald City.
Heading farther down I-5, Portland will see a higher risk of storms this weekend. The threat will begin to dissipate on Sunday with the metro area anticipating partly cloudy skies and a high of about 78 degrees.