Flood Warning Issued For Western Washington Sunday

SEATTLE — The National Weather Service is predicting a wet end to the weekend, and has issued a flood watch for most of western Washington, including Snohomish, King, Pierce and Kitsap counties.

A flood watch is less severe than a flood warning, but forecasters say heavy rainfall could pose problems for those living along rivers, that there is a potential for widespread minor river flooding, possibly even moderate flooding in some areas.

Flooding is expected to continue along the Skokomish River, but the Stillaguamish, Snoqualmie, lower Chehalis, and Newaukum basins all could see minor flooding through the day, as could the Nooksack and Bogachiel rivers.

For everyone else, the weather will simply bring heavy rains. Forecasters expect most of western Washington to see between one and three inches of rain in the lowlands. The mountains are likely to see between four and eight inches.

Meteorologists say it'll be important for residents to keep an eye on the water, even if your home isn't in danger of flooding. Saturday night saw several reports of water on the roadways.

Greetings from the midnight shift who just arrived at the office! Lots of water on the roadways out there and it's hard to see in the dark! Plus there's heavy snow in the Cascades - I90 is still closed in both directions. So if you can stay home, it's your best bet! #wawx pic.twitter.com/40NpJiZSfP

— NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) January" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://twitter.com/NWSSeattle... 3, 2021

During a flood watch, residents are advised to keep clear of river banks and culverts where possible, as they can

The flood watch will remain in effect through Sunday night. However, the rain will stick around — forecasters are predicting rain through Wednesday at the very least, but it remains a possibility all the way through the next weekend.