Another wet, windy storm heading toward Western Washington this weekend, forecasters warn
A wet and windy storm is approaching Western Washington after several weeks of mild weather since the Nov. 19 bomb cyclone that damaged homes in the Sudden Valley area of Whatcom County.
“A stout disturbance” arrives late Friday into Saturday with a one-third chance of winds gusting to 40 mph or stronger in Whatcom County, meteorologist Dev McMillian said in an online forecast for the National Weather Service in Seattle.
Flooding is also possible this weekend in coastal Whatcom County as the storm coincides with seasonal king tides, McMillian said.
In an online briefing Wednesday afternoon, the weather service said that the storm will bring wind and rain to the lowlands and snow to the North Cascades above 3,000 feet. Strongest winds are expected north of Everett.
“Winds will start to increase Friday evening and look to peak overnight into Saturday. Winds will then gradually ease through the day Saturday. The strongest winds are expected to be along the Pacific coast, Whidbey Island, the San Juan Islands, and western Skagit and Whatcom counties, where wind gusts to 35-45 mph will be possible,” meteorologist Kayla Mazurkiewicz said online.
A half-inch to an inch of rain was possible in the Whatcom County lowlands and 6 to 12 inches of snow in the mountains, the weather service said.
Flooding was not expected on the Nooksack River, according to the Northwest River Forecast Center.
A foot of snow or more was expected in the North Cascades, and a winter weather advisory was issued for the Mount Baker wilderness from Friday afternoon through Sunday morning.
“Significantly higher amounts (of snow) will be possible at Mt, Baker Ski Area,” the weather service said.
Avalanche danger was moderate on the western slopes of the North Cascades, according to the Northwest Avalanche Center.
This story was originally published December 12, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
