Wet, windy weather due to hit Whatcom County this week

Two systems moving through the region will make for a wet and windy week in Whatcom County.

Rain and southerly winds of 20 to 35 mph, with gusts around 50 mph, will move through the area Tuesday night, Nov. 10, through Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.

A winter storm watch is in effect for the Mount Baker area Tuesday and Wednesday. The system should bring 12 to 18 inches of snow to the North Cascades at elevations above 3,000 feet, said Chris Burke, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service.

Whatcom County may get the worst of a stronger front that will hit Western Washington on Thursday night. The forecast suggests winds of 20 to 40 mph, with gusts up to 60, coming to the area Thursday and Friday. Heavy rain — up to 2 inches in Bellingham — is in the forecast over a 48-hour period starting Thursday night.

If the forecast holds, heavy rain would raise the risk of landslides on steep slopes and possibly cause flooding from the Nooksack River. On Friday, wind-whipped waves could cause significant beach erosion, according to the weather service.

The temperatures this week should be around normal for this time of year, Burke said. The highs should be about 50 and then warm up a bit Friday for a high of 54. The normal high is about 50 degrees, Burke said.

This story was originally published November 8, 2015 at 10:10 AM with the headline "Wet, windy weather due to hit Whatcom County this week."