666  
FXUS66 KSEW 051659  
AFDSEW  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA  
859 AM PST TUE DEC 5 2023  
   
UPDATE  
NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THE OVERALL FORECAST. THE  
ATMOSPHERIC RIVER DRAPED OVER THE THE AREA WILL CONTINUE TO DRIVE  
MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINFALL THROUGH TONIGHT - ESPECIALLY OVER THE  
CASCADE MOUNTAINS. THIS WILL CONTINUE TO CAUSE WIDESPREAD  
HYDROLOGIC IMPACTS THROUGHOUT THE REGION. PLEASE SEE THE AVIATION  
AND MARINE SECTIONS BELOW FOR UPDATES TO THOSE FORECASTS.  
 
 
   
PREV DISCUSSION  
/ISSUED 322 AM PST TUE DEC 5 2023/  
 
 
   
SYNOPSIS  
AN ATMOSPHERIC RIVER WILL IMPACT THE REGION TODAY  
WITH PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN AND RIVER FLOODING. AN UPPER LEVEL  
TROUGH WILL CROSS THE REGION LATE IN THE WEEK FOR A SHIFT TOWARD  
MORE SHOWERY PRECIPITATION, COOLER TEMPERATURES, AND LOWERING SNOW  
LEVELS. A BRIEF BREAK IN THE ACTIVE PATTERN IS POSSIBLE ON  
FRIDAY BEFORE ANOTHER FRONT ARRIVES OVER THE WEEKEND. DRIER  
CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE BY EARLY NEXT WEEK.  
 
 
   
SHORT TERM /TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY/  
WE'VE GOT A PRETTY  
EXTRAORDINARY AIR MASS OVER WESTERN WASHINGTON THIS MORNING AS AN  
ATMOSPHERIC RIVER CONTINUES TO HAVE THE REGION FIRMLY IN ITS  
CROSSHAIRS. TO GAIN A SENSE OF HOW MOISTURE LADEN IT IS, THE  
MONDAY AFTERNOON SOUNDING OUT OF KUIL HAD PRECIPITABLE WATER OF  
JUST OVER 1.4 INCHES. NO SOUNDING DATA FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER  
DATING BACK 75 YEARS HAS YIELDED A NUMBER THAT HIGH. SNOW LEVELS  
REMAIN AS HIGH AS 9000 TO 10000 FEET ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE AREA  
EARLY THIS MORNING WITH RAINFALL RATES OF 0.25 TO 0.50 INCH PER  
HOUR ACROSS MUCH OF THE LOWLANDS AND HIGHER IN THE MOUNTAINS.  
WE'LL NEED TO CONTINUE TO MONITOR THIS AS SOME RATES ARE NEARING  
FLASH FLOOD THRESHOLDS NEAR THE SOURDOUGH AND BOLT CREEK BURN  
SCARS. NUMEROUS RIVERS ARE OR WILL BE REACHING MODERATE TO MAJOR  
FLOOD LEVELS. MORE ON THIS CAN BE FOUND IN THE HYDROLOGY PORTION  
OF THE DISCUSSION.  
 
A COLD FRONT WILL GRADUALLY DRAG ONSHORE LATER THIS MORNING THEN  
STALL AROUND PUGET SOUND MUCH OF THE DAY BEFORE EVENTUALLY  
SHIFTING EAST OF THE CASCADES TONIGHT. THIS WILL ALLOW RAINFALL  
RATES TO GRADUALLY DECREASE AS WELL AS BEGIN TO LOWER SNOW  
LEVELS. THE AXIS OF HEAVIER PRECIP WILL SHIFT INTO OREGON BY  
WEDNESDAY MORNING. HOWEVER, A FRONTAL WAVE LIFTING NORTHWARD  
ACROSS SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA COULD ENHANCE PRECIP RATES FOR  
A FEW HOURS ACROSS THE CENTRAL CASCADES WEDNESDAY MORNING INTO  
MID AFTERNOON. SNOW LEVELS WILL FALL BACK TO PASS LEVELS BY EARLY  
THURSDAY AS AN UPPER TROUGH AXIS MOVES ONSHORE. MODELS REMAIN  
RELATIVELY CONSISTENT WITH THE FOCUS OF MUCH OF THE PRECIP WITH  
THE UPPER TROUGH REMAINING SOUTH OF THE FORECAST AREA. WITH THE  
SHOWERY NATURE OF THE PRECIP AND AN ABSENCE OF ANY SIGNIFICANT  
ONSHORE FLOW, SNOWFALL FOR THE MOUNTAINS (INCLUDING THE PASSES)  
SHOULD BE MODEST AT BEST.  
   
LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY/  
LOW AMPLITUDE SHORTWAVE  
RIDGING SLIDING ACROSS THE REGION WILL PROVIDE A BRIEF BREAK IN  
THE WEATHER LATER FRIDAY INTO EARLY SATURDAY BEFORE ANOTHER FRONT  
ARRIVES FOR THE LATER HALF OF SATURDAY INTO EARLY SUNDAY.  
ENSEMBLES GENERALLY SUPPORT THE IDEA OF THIS SYSTEM BEING RATHER  
PROGRESSIVE. LOOKING INTO EARLY PART OF NEXT WEEK, THERE IS RATHER  
BROAD SUPPORT IN THE ENSEMBLES OF POSITIVE HEIGHT ANOMALIES JUST  
OFFSHORE AS BROAD UPPER TROUGHING DEVELOPS DOWNSTREAM EAST OF THE  
ROCKIES. ALL OF THIS POINTS TOWARD A RELATIVELY (AND PROBABLY MUCH  
NEEDED) BENIGN START TO THE WEEK WITH NEAR SEASONAL TEMPERATURES  
AND A MULTI-DAY DRYING TREND. 27  
 
 
   
AVIATION  
A MIXED BAG OF CONDITIONS EARLY THIS TUESDAY MORNING AS  
A COLD FRONT CONTINUES TO MOVE ONSHORE. THIS FRONT WILL STALL OVER  
WESTERN WASHINGTON TODAY WITH ADDITIONAL WAVES OF LOW PRESSURE  
RIDING ALONG IT AS A SHORTWAVE TROUGH MOVES NORTHEAST OVER THE  
PACIFIC NORTHWEST KEEPING DEEP SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT. RAIN WILL  
CONTINUE FOR MOST OF THE TERMINALS TODAY WITH PRIMARILY MVFR CIGS.  
THE BEST CHANCES FOR BREAKS AND POTENTIAL BRIEF PERIODS OF VFR WILL  
BE FURTHEST NORTH OF THE STALLED FRONT AT BLI, KHQM, AND KCLM.  
SOUTH-SOUTHWEST WINDS FROM 5 TO 10 KT.  
 
KSEA...PRIMARILY MVFR CIGS TODAY AS A COLD FRONT STALLS OVERHEAD  
WITH ADDITIONAL WAVES OF LOW PRESSURE AND STRONG SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW  
ALOFT PUMPING AMPLE MOISTURE OVER WESTERN WASHINGTON. THIS WILL  
CONTINUE MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN AT TIMES THROUGH THE DAY, WHICH MAY  
LEAD TO BRIEF PERIODS OF IFR OR EVEN LIFR CONDITIONS. RAIN GRADUALLY  
TRANSITIONS TO MORE SHOWERS OVERNIGHT TONIGHT, WITH MORE WIDESPREAD  
COVERAGE SOUTH OF THE TERMINAL. WINDS MOSTLY OUT OF THE SOUTH-  
SOUTHWEST THEN BACK TO THE SOUTHEAST LATE THIS AFTERNOON THEN TURN  
LIGHT AND VARIABLE OUT WITH A PREDOMINATELY NORTHEASTERLY  
DIRECTION TONIGHT.  
 
 
   
MARINE  
SOUTHERLY WINDS ARE EASING OFF OVER THE COASTAL WATERS AND  
EVEN INTO PORTIONS OF THE INTERIOR WATERS AS WELL AS A COLD FRONT  
PUSHES ONSHORE. WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO TURN MORE ONSHORE THIS  
MORNING BEFORE TURNING BACK TO THE SOUTH-SOUTHWEST AS ADDITIONAL  
WAVES OF LOW PRESSURE MOVE ALONG THE STALLING COLD FRONT. COMBINED  
SEAS REMAIN ON THE HIGH SIDE FROM 10 TO 14 FT THIS MORNING, THEN  
RISE BACK TO 15 TO 20 FT THIS AFTERNOON OVER THE COASTAL WATERS.  
SEAS FINALLY LOOK TO DROP BELOW 10 FT INTO THURSDAY BEFORE ANOTHER  
FRONTAL SYSTEM MOVES EASTWARD OVER THE AREA WATERS, BRINGING SEAS  
BACK ABOVE 10 FT ALONG WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR GALE-FORCE WINDS.  
 
 
   
HYDROLOGY  
HEAVY RAIN CONTINUING OVER MOST OF THE AREA THROUGH  
THIS AFTERNOON. RAINFALL AMOUNTS IN THE 12 HOUR PERIOD ENDING AT 3  
AM FOR THE OLYMPICS RANGE FROM 2.5 TO NEARLY 6 INCHES ( QUINAULT  
5.58 INCHES ), NORTH AND CENTRAL CASCADES 1.5 TO ALMOST 4 INCHES,  
1.5 TO 2.5 INCHES IN THE SOUTH CASCADES, 1.5 TO 3 INCHES ALONG  
THE COAST AND AND 0.75 INCHES TO 1.5 INCHES IN THE INTERIOR  
LOWLANDS. SNOW LEVELS UP AROUND 9000 FEET WILL ONLY LOWER SLIGHTLY  
TODAY.  
 
HEAVY RAIN WILL CONTINUE IN THE NORTH AND CENTRAL CASCADES THROUGH  
THIS AFTERNOON WITH ANOTHER 2 TO 4 INCHES OF RAIN ON TOP OF WHAT  
HAS ALREADY FALLEN. RAINFALL AMOUNTS IN OTHER LOCATIONS WILL BE  
LESS WITH THE ATMOSPHERIC RIVER SHIFTING SLIGHTLY INLAND LATER  
TODAY.  
 
FLOOD WARNINGS ARE ALREADY OUT FOR MOST OF THE RIVERS FLOWING OFF  
THE NORTH CENTRAL CASCADES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE  
SKAGIT, STILLAGUAMISH, SNOQUALMIE, SKYKOMISH AND TOLT. WARNINGS  
FOR THE SNOHOMISH RIVER WILL BE ADDED THIS MORNING. THE SKAGIT  
NEAR CONCRETE WILL REACH MAJOR FLOOD STAGE LATER THIS  
MORNING/EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. THERE IS A CHANCE THAT THE SNOQUALMIE  
NEAR CARNATION WILL REACH MAJOR FLOOD STAGE TONIGHT.  
 
RIVERS FLOWING OFF THE SOUTH CENTRAL CASCADES ARE WELL BELOW FLOOD  
STAGE THIS MORNING BUT WITH THE RAIN CONTINUING THROUGH TODAY  
WARNINGS WILL MOST LIKELY BE ISSUED FOR THE COWLITZ, NISQUALLY,  
NEWAUKUM AND PORTIONS OF THE CHEHALIS RIVER LATER THIS MORNING OR  
THIS AFTERNOON.  
 
FOR RIVERS FLOWING OFF THE OLYMPICS, THE SKOKOMISH RIVER COULD  
REACH MAJOR FLOOD STAGE THIS MORNING. THE RIVER CAN'T GO MORE THAN  
A COUPLE INCHES ABOVE MAJOR FLOOD STAGE BEFORE IT STARTS FILLING  
UP THE VALLEY. FLOOD WARNINGS ARE ALREADY UP FOR THE BOGACHIEL  
RIVER. WITH THE ATMOSPHERIC RIVER MOVING INLAND, THE BOGACHIEL  
WILL CREST LATER THIS MORNING AND BEGIN RECEDING THIS AFTERNOON.  
ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE OLYMPICS LOCALIZED FLOODING WILL OCCUR  
NEAR THE DUCKABUSH AND DOSEWALLIPS RIVERS IN EASTERN JEFFERSON  
COUNTY THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON.  
 
HEAVY RAIN COMING TO AN END TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING. THIS  
WILL ALLOW THE UPPER REACHES OF THE RIVER TO START RECEDING WHILE  
THE FLOOD CREST MAKES ITS WAY DOWNSTREAM TO THE LOWER REACHES OF  
THE RIVERS. FELTON  
 
 
   
SEW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
WA...FLOOD WATCH THROUGH LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT FOR ADMIRALTY INLET  
AREA-BELLEVUE AND VICINITY-BREMERTON AND VICINITY-CENTRAL  
COAST-EAST PUGET SOUND LOWLANDS-EASTERN STRAIT OF JUAN DE  
FUCA-EVERETT AND VICINITY-HOOD CANAL AREA-LOWER CHEHALIS  
VALLEY AREA-NORTH COAST-OLYMPICS-SAN JUAN COUNTY-SEATTLE  
AND VICINITY-SOUTHWEST INTERIOR-TACOMA AREA-WEST SLOPES  
NORTH CASCADES AND PASSES-WEST SLOPES NORTH CENTRAL  
CASCADES AND PASSES-WEST SLOPES SOUTH CENTRAL CASCADES AND  
PASSES-WESTERN SKAGIT COUNTY-WESTERN STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  
WESTERN WHATCOM COUNTY.  
 
PZ...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 4 AM PST WEDNESDAY FOR GRAYS HARBOR  
BAR-WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA.  
 
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 4 PM PST WEDNESDAY FOR COASTAL WATERS  
FROM CAPE FLATTERY TO JAMES ISLAND 10 TO 60 NM-COASTAL  
WATERS FROM CAPE FLATTERY TO JAMES ISLAND OUT 10 NM-COASTAL  
WATERS FROM JAMES ISLAND TO POINT GRENVILLE 10 TO 60 NM-  
COASTAL WATERS FROM JAMES ISLAND TO POINT GRENVILLE OUT 10  
NM-COASTAL WATERS FROM POINT GRENVILLE TO CAPE SHOALWATER  
10 TO 60 NM-COASTAL WATERS FROM POINT GRENVILLE TO CAPE  
SHOALWATER OUT 10 NM.  
 
 
 
 
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
The Nexlab WA Page
Main Text Page