UPDATE: Flood watch issued for North Olympic Peninsula as warm rains, thaw approach
Published 10:52 am Tuesday, March 29, 2011
The National Weather Service today issued a flood watch starting Wednesday.
Here is the bulletin:
A STRONG PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN
TO THE COAST AND MOUNTAINS OF WESTERN WASHINGTON WEDNESDAY
THROUGH AT LEAST THURSDAY…
…FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
FRIDAY AFTERNOON…
THE FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES FOR
* PORTIONS OF WESTERN WASHINGTON…INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES…CLALLAM…JEFFERSON…SKAGIT…WHATCOM…KING…
LEWIS…MASON…PIERCE…SNOHOMISH…THURSTON….
* FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON
* A WARM FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL SPREAD RAIN INTO WESTERN WASHINGTON
LATER TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY. THE FRONTAL BAND IS EXPECTED TO
STALL OVER THE AREA FOR A 24 TO 48 HOUR PERIOD PRODUCING HEAVY
PRECIPITATION ALONG THE COAST AND MOUNTAINS. FREEZING LEVELS
WILL RISE DRAMATICALLY TO 7000-9000 FEET DURING THE PERIOD
WHICH RAISES THE THREAT OF FLOODING ON SOME RIVERS.
* THE SKOKOMISH RIVER IN MASON COUNTY IS THE RIVER MOST LIKELY TO
FLOOD…POSSIBLY BY LATE WEDNESDAY. HOWEVER…48 HOUR RAINFALL
AMOUNTS OF UP TO 5 INCHES IN THE OLYMPICS AND 4 TO 7 INCHES IN
THE CENTRAL CASCADES WILL DRIVE RIVERS SUCH AS SNOQUALMIE…
SNOHOMISH…AND STILLAGUAMISH TO FLOOD. THERE IS A CHANCE THE
SNOHOMISH RIVER WILL REACH MAJOR FLOOD.
* LESS AMOUNTS OF RAINFALL ARE EXPECTED ELSEWHERE BUT WILL CAUSE
SHARP RISES ON OTHER RIVERS AND MAY ALSO CAUSE SOME ADDITIONAL
RIVERS RUNNING OFF THE CASCADES AND OLYMPICS TO FLOOD. GRAYS
HARBOR AND KITSAP COUNTIES MAY ALSO BE IMPACTED AND COULD BE
ADDED TO THE FLOOD WATCH LATER. SCATTERED LANDSLIDES IN AREAS
THAT RECEIVE HEAVY RAIN MAY ALSO OCCUR.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A FLOOD WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR FLOODING BUT
FLOODING IS NOT IMMINENT OR OCCURRING. MONITOR THE LATEST
FORECASTS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND BE READY TO ACT
QUICKLY IF FLOODING IS OBSERVED OR A WARNING IS ISSUED.
