Strong Atmospheric River Set To Hit the Pacific Northwest, As A Series Of Storms Bring Rain, Wind And Mountain Snow This Week

Active Week Ahead For Pacific Northwest

The Pacific Northwest will get locked into a wet and windy pattern this week, as a series of storms push onshore.

The main event will arrive soon, then continue through Thursday timeframe as a strong atmospheric river will bring gnarly conditions from Washington to central California.

(MORE: What is an atmospheric river?)

We will break down the timing and impacts here:

Some areas could see a foot of rain

As waves of rain push onshore this week, the rainfall totals will be stacking up. From northern California to northern Washington, widespread rainfall totals will range from 5 to 7 inches. However, there will be isolated areas that could pick up as much as a foot of rain.

Here’s a look at where the rain and snow are occurring now:

There will be a threat for flash flooding, as relentless rain pushes in. The flooding potential will increase as the week pushes on, as new rain falls on already saturated ground.

The Snoqualmie River in Washington is already running high because of an atmospheric river that impacted the region over the weekend.

The National Weather Service office in Seattle posted this on X:

Heavy rain, mountain snow and potential mudslides will be a threat, especially in burn scar areas.

Expect heavy snow in higher elevations

While heavy rain falls in the lower elevations, temperatures are cold enough for mountain snow in the higher elevations.

Parts of the Cascades and northern Rockies could pick up as much as 12-18 inches of snow. Some areas could see even higher amounts.

Even parts of the Sierra Nevada will pick up some snow, albeit not quite as widespread as the northern mountain ranges, and at much higher elevations.

Wind will also be an issue as these systems push onshore. Winds could gust at least 45 miles per hour or more in the lower elevations.

In the higher elevations, we could see winds as high as 60-70 mph. This could be enough to uproot trees and cause power outages.

Make sure to check back often, as the forecast could change.

Jennifer Gray is a weather and climate writer for weather.com. She has been covering some of the world's biggest weather and climate stories for the last two decades.