Ice, snowmelt and persistent rain raise flooding fears along the Nooksack River
Approaching warmer weather could mean rapid snowmelt in the lowlands and the mountains, prompting fears of flooding across Western Washington, including the Nooksack River in Whatcom County.
Ice has formed on the Nooksack River downstream from Ferndale after 10 days of arctic weather, a Whatcom County Public Works spokeswoman told The Bellingham Herald. As the ice melts, large chunks could damage the levee or create a ice jams that cause water to spill over the riverbank.
“As the temperatures warm, we will continue to watch for potential downstream flooding as the ice breaks up. Folks in Marietta, Slater Road and Marine Drive areas should also remain aware of changing conditions,” Mandy Feutz said.
In addition to the ice, 11 inches or more of snow fell across the lowlands.
Crews from the county’s River and Flood Division and the Division of Emergency Management are monitoring the situation, Feutz said.
Just as lowland thawing begins, National Weather Service meteorologists in Seattle are seeing warmer temperatures and persistent rain in the lowlands of Whatcom County. Snow levels will rise to 4,000 to 5,000 feet, meaning that rain could fall at elevations near the Mt. Baker Ski Area.
That could spell trouble for communities along the Nooksack River from Acme to Everson, Lynden and Sumas and farther downstream.
“While none of these individual (storm) systems appear to be extreme with regard to rainfall amounts, the cumulative effect of these may position the rivers to be more susceptible to a flood event at some point with elevated flows, meteorologist Matthew Cullen said online Friday.
Early projections from the Northwest River Forecast Center show the Nooksack River rising to just below flood stage in Ferndale late next week.
Landslides also could become a threat as rain and snowmelt keep the ground saturated.
Even farther out, forecasters are keeping an eye on signs that an atmospheric river could be heading toward the West Coast.
Such warm and moisture-laden storms have produced three rounds of significant flooding along the Nooksack River since early 2020, killing an Everson man, displacing hundreds of residents and causing more than $200 million in damages.
