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Heavy rain forecast later this week

Published 12:01 am Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Heavy rain forecast later this week

The North Olympic Peninsula is included in a National Weather Service special weather statement issued Tuesday.

Look for heavy rains and possibly lightning, especially Thursday.

In its traditional teletype-style all-capital-letters format is the National Weather Service’s statement:

SAN JUAN COUNTY-WESTERN WHATCOM COUNTY-SOUTHWEST INTERIOR-

EAST PUGET SOUND LOWLANDS-WESTERN SKAGIT COUNTY-

EVERETT AND VICINITY-SEATTLE/BREMERTON AREA-TACOMA AREA-

ADMIRALTY INLET AREA-HOOD CANAL AREA-LOWER CHEHALIS VALLEY AREA-

OLYMPICS-EASTERN STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-

WESTERN STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-NORTH COAST-CENTRAL COAST-

WEST SLOPES NORTHERN CASCADES AND PASSES-

WEST SLOPES CENTRAL CASCADES AND PASSES-

159 PM PDT TUE SEP 3 2013

…LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE OVER WESTERN WASHINGTON ON

THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY…

A SLOW MOVING UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM SITTING OFF THE

NORTHERN OREGON COAST IS EXPECTED TO DRIFT SLOWLY EAST ACROSS THE

AREA THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY. AS THE LOW MOVES ACROSS THE AREA…IT

WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. THESE STORMS

WILL LIKELY PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AMOUNTS. SOME STORMS

MAY PRODUCE OVER 1 INCH OF RAINFALL IN LESS THAN AN HOUR.

FORECASTING THE MOVEMENT AND TIMING OF THESE UPPER LEVEL LOWS CAN

BE QUITE DIFFICULT. THE PERIOD OF HEAVY RAINFALL MAY BEGIN AS

EARLY AS THURSDAY…OR IT MAY OCCUR THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY.

WHILE MOST WEATHER FORECAST MODELS SHOW THE POTENTIAL FOR THE

HEAVIEST RAINFALL AMOUNTS BEING OVER THE CASCADES…SOME GUIDANCE

SHOWS THE HEAVIEST AMOUNTS IN THE OLYMPICS AND INTERIOR LOWLANDS.

AT THIS TIME…IT APPEARS THAT WIDESPREAD RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1

TO 2 INCHES IS POSSIBLE IN THE WESTERN WASHINGTON LOWLANDS WHILE

UP TO 4 INCHES COULD LOCALLY OCCUR IN THE MOUNTAINS.

EXCESSIVE RAINFALL RATES CAN OVERWHELM STORM DRAINAGE IN URBAN

AREAS…LEADING TO URBAN FLOODING. THIS CAN ALSO RESULT IN

FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS.

SINCE WEATHER CONDITIONS WITH UPPER LOWS CAN EVOLVE QUICKLY AND

ARE DIFFICULT TO FORECAST…PEOPLE ACROSS WESTERN WASHINGTON ARE

URGED TO STAY TUNED TO LATEST FORECASTS AND UPDATES.

For further details, here are comments from meteorologist (and North Olympic Peninsula native) Scott Sistek with our Seattle news partner, KOMO-TV: http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Soaking-rains-to-bring-potential-for-urban-flooding-this-week-222240701.html

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