Ominous weather forecast looming for flood-ravaged Whatcom County

Next week’s weather forecast is sending some ominous signals, even as Whatcom County and much of low-lying Western Washington waits for floodwaters to recede from this week’s torrential rainfall.

Another atmospheric river, a narrow band of moisture-laden air, is streaming toward the Northwest from the South Pacific.

Such a series of warm, wet storms could cause rivers and streams to rise toward flood stage again in just a few days starting Sunday night and continuing into Thursday, the National Weather Service said online Friday morning.

“(Several computer models) continue to consistently bring a stronger system back into Western Washington quite literally on the heels of the late weekend system. This would return widespread, heavier rainfall to the area as well as windy to gusty conditions for parts of Western Washington,” the weather service said.

This would mirror the back-to-back storms of November 2021, when flooding on the Nooksack River caused more than $150 million in damages and killed one person.

Snow level forecasts remain high — at 7,000 to 8,000 feet for Monday — with rain at lower elevations.

There is a 30% to 60% chance of 3 to 4 inches of precipitation over the Cascades of Whatcom, Skagit and Snohomish counties through Monday evening, the weather service said.

Weather forecasting company AccuWeather said shared images online of a steady stream of rain into the Northwest. Its exact focus couldn’t be certain with storms so far out.

“There is an indication that a new atmospheric river will develop and extend all the way from near Hawaii to the coastal areas of the Northwest on Monday,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson said. “This setup is sometimes referred to as the Pineapple Express.”

Such a secondary series of storms could lead to “renewed or prolonged flooding impact to many area rivers,” the National Weather Service said,

Long-range estimates from the Northwest River Forecast Center show the Nooksack River rising to just under minor flood stage Wednesday.

This story was originally published December 12, 2025 at 10:52 AM.

Robert Mittendorf

The Bellingham Herald

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Robert Mittendorf covers civic issues, weather, traffic and how people are coping with the high cost of housing for The Bellingham Herald. A journalist since 1984, he also served 22 years as a volunteer firefighter for South Whatcom Fire Authority before retiring in 2025.