West Coast Braces for More Surges of Moisture Into Next Week

The West Coast has experienced a full range of weather impacts this week with more changes on the way in the coming days. Here is a look at the ever-changing weather story for this part of the U.S.

Unseasonable Warmth in the Rearview Mirror for the Northwest

It is easy to understand why some residents of the western U.S. may be constantly checking the calendar to verify the month. Another round of heavy rain and cooler air will push to the south along the West Coast this weekend, following an influx of record-challenging warmth for some parts of the region. The weather whiplash will also include the threat of snow for some of the higher elevations as the storm train originating in the Pacific Ocean fires up again.

It was a toasty start to the week for the Pacific Northwest. Major cities such as Seattle and Portland saw the mercury soar into the 70s on Tuesday, hitting readings that were well over the historical average for the end of March.

Wednesday brought another drastic change to the weather in the Northwest. While the temperatures remained well above normal for the early spring season, a rash of severe weather also pushed to the north throughout the afternoon and evening hours. This is a corner of the country that is not accustomed to severe storms of this magnitude, catching many people off guard.

The storm that roared up the coastlines of the Washington and Oregon and inland to Seattle and Portland ushered in periods of heavy rain and thunder and lightning. However, the impacts were not as severe as originally anticipated. The late arrival of the center of the storm system meant that the atmosphere had already cooled down to some degree. However, the populated Interstate 5 corridor still managed to see its fair share of rare thunderstorm action to bring the day to a close.

Friday's Forecast Sees the Reappearance of the Moisture Machine