This heavy rain could push Nooksack to near flood stage in Whatcom
Heavy rain forecast for the next few days could send torrents of snowmelt into the Nooksack River, causing it to approach flood stage this weekend.
One week into June, Bellingham has already received a month’s worth of rain — and more is on the way, according to the most recent forecasts from the National Weather Service in Seattle.
“Rainy weather is likely late in the week with several inches of rain a good bet in the mountains. Several rivers might get up near flood stage, which is unusual for June,” said meteorologist Kayla Mazurkiewicz in the online forecast discussion Monday, June 6.
Normal June rainfall is 1.61 inches, and 1.51 inches of rain had fallen at Bellingham International Airport through Sunday, June 5.
Meanwhile, snowpack in the North Cascades is 156% of normal, according to most recent data from the National Water and Climate Center in Portland, Oregon.
Heavy rain on mountain snowpack was blamed for recent lowland flood devastation on communities along the Nooksack River, in November 2021 and in January-February 2020.
Current information for the Northwest River Forecast Center shows the Nooksack rising to near flood stage at Nugents Corner and Ferndale on Saturday, June 11, and Sunday, June 12.
Such heavy June rain is unusual for Whatcom County, the National Weather Service said.
“Over the past 15 years or so we have not issued any flood warnings in June,” Mazurkiewicz said.
