Heavy Rain, Flood Watches Continue In Bellevue: What To Expect

BELLEVUE, WA — This wild weather is not done with Western Washington just yet, not by a long shot.

A flood watch took effect Thursday afternoon for almost all of Western Washington, including Bellevue, and will remain in place until at least Saturday. During the watch, forecasters with the National Weather Service are warning residents to expect "excessive" rainfall, which may cause flooding in rivers, creeks, streams. There is also a high potential for urban flooding, especially in places with poor drainage or where debris has clogged storm drains or ditches.

The heavy rainfall really began in full force midday Thursday — even causing a few lightning strikes along the Olympic Peninsula — but it will continue to pour Friday, thanks largely to a "Pineapple Express," a warm frontal system that will continue to dump between three and five inches of rain over Puget Sound.

"I'd say this sort of atmospheric river event happens a couple of times each winter on average but is only about half of what our bigger flood events are like and, because of the relatively short duration, falls far short of the big events that have ruined roads and campgrounds," forecasters wrote. "That said, the rivers will still come up quickly [Thursday] and Friday and there is of course no change to the flood watch."

Most area rivers are expected to reach various flood stages Friday, including swatches of the Snoqualmie, Snohomish and Puyallup rivers. According to the latest river forecasts, a handful may briefly reach major flood stages late Friday afternoon, including the Snoqualmie, Tolt, Snohomish and Skagit rivers.

Check live river conditions and review the latest flood forecasts via the National Weather Service.

Sign up to receive local flood alerts in King, Pierce, or Snohomish counties.

By midday Friday, forecasters warn the heavy rains will have also fully saturated the hillsides, priming the region for potential landslides. The flood watch is set to expire Saturday afternoon. Likewise, the threat of landslides should also decline moving into Sunday.

Monday also brings "another shot of heavy rain" plus breezy winds, forecasters say, followed by a cooler weather pattern Tuesday that, while it won't be as rainy, could knock overnight lows well into the 30s— so bring those outdoor plants indoors before then.

All told, Western Washington can expect a pretty wild couple of days, and forecasters are advising residents to hunker down if possible, or drive especially carefully if you're going out in the rain.