After two weeks of severe weather, including relentless atmospheric rivers and record-breaking flooding, conditions in Washington State are finally improving. Meteorologist Scott Sistek confirmed that the worst of the weather has passed, bringing relief to communities affected by the recent storms. An overnight windstorm had left approximately 380,000 customers without power, impacting nearly one million individuals when considering the average household size.
The strong winds, which reached gusts of 50-70 mph, battered the state from late Tuesday into early Wednesday. Areas such as Whidbey Island and Snohomish County experienced significant damage. Sistek noted that although the storm was intense, it did not cause the catastrophic outages that earlier predictions had suggested. “Even going into late last night, we were really bracing ourselves, thinking it could be a lot more,” he said.
Governments and utilities are now shifting focus to recovery efforts. Sistek reported that the blizzard warning for the Cascade mountain passes remained in effect but acknowledged that the storm’s intensity was dwindling. He pointed out that the transition from warm rain to cooler temperatures has changed the precipitation pattern in the mountains, reducing runoff that had previously swelled rivers to dangerous levels.
Communities along the Green, Skagit, Snohomish, Snoqualmie, and White Rivers can expect relief as flood warnings begin to diminish. “I looked; there’s no purple on the river forecast map anymore,” Sistek stated, referring to the color coding that indicates major flooding. With the cooler temperatures, the mountains are now receiving snow instead of rain, which will help alleviate the flooding situation.
As the weather pattern stabilizes, Washington’s ski resorts could benefit from the new snowpack. Snoqualmie Pass, which previously had minimal snow, is projected to receive between 10 to 15 inches from this recent storm. This increase will help build the necessary snowpack essential for summer water supplies.
Looking ahead, long-range forecasts suggest that wet and cool conditions will persist through the holiday season, leading into the New Year. While Sistek expressed some caution regarding potential fluctuations in snow levels, he remains optimistic about the chances of a white Christmas for Seattle, stating, “It’s not zero.”
Currently, two rivers in the region remain at Flood Phase 4, the highest warning level, while six additional rivers are at Flood Phase 3. With the recent weather shifts, there is hope for communities to recover from the effects of the storms.
Washington’s tumultuous December weather appears to be subsiding, allowing residents to look forward to the holidays with a sense of relief and optimism for better conditions ahead.
