THAT CRAIG COULD BE SLIPPERY AND DANGEROUS AT TIMES. A POWERFUL ATMOSPHERIC RIVER CONTINUES TO MOVE THROUGH THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST, WESTERN WASHINGTON TAKING THE BRUNT OF IT. IT LED TO A MUDSLIDE ON I-90. THIS WAS NEAR SOUTH BEND, WASHINGTON YESTERDAY.
WHAT A MESS. LOOK AT THAT. SCARY, TOO. THERE WAS AN SUV AND A BOX TRUCK THAT GOT CAUGHT UP IN THAT DEBRIS FLOW. THANKFULLY, FIRST RESPONDERS SAY EVERYONE WAS ABLE TO EXIT THEIR VEHICLE SAFELY.
LAST NIGHT ON FOX WEATHER LIVE, STEVE BENDER SPOKE WITH FOX 13 METEOROLOGIST CLAIRE ANDERSON ABOUT THIS POWERFUL STORM.
IT'S NOT ABNORMAL TO SEE FLOODING. WE SEE IT EVERY YEAR, BUT WHEN YOU SEE THE ACCUMULATION OF THIS MUCH RAIN, SEVERAL DAYS OF IT AND THEN GOING OUT INTO THESE FLOODPLAINS, THAT'S THE PROBLEM WE'RE SEEING. IT'S THE AMOUNT OF MOISTURE OVER THESE QUICK AMOUNT OF DAYS THAT ARE REALLY CREATING PROBLEMS.
AND THE WARM TEMPERATURES, WHICH A LOT OF THIS RAIN IN A COOLER CONDITION WOULD BE SNOW STAYING IN THE MOUNTAINS.
NOT THE CASE. THIS IS ALL RAIN AND THE NEXT ROUND THAT COMES THROUGH. ALSO AN AR FOR NEXT WEEK EXPECTED TO COME FROM A WARM SOURCE. ESTIMATED RAINFALL TOTALS FOR THE PAST THREE DAYS ARE IMPRESSIVE.
MORE THAN A FOOT OF FRESH RAIN, IN SOME CASES ALONG THE OLYMPIC PENINSULA, CLOSER TO THE FOOTHILLS OF THE CASCADES. AND THEN WE TALKED ABOUT THIS YESTERDAY.
REMEMBER, I WAS TALKING ABOUT THE SNOW LEVELS AT 4000FT, GOING UP TO 8000FT FOR IDAHO AND MONTANA. LOOK WHAT'S HAPPENED.
A TON OF RAIN THERE. SO FLOODING CONCERNS THERE. THEY'RE NOT IN THE COLD SECTOR. THAT IS GOING TO BE FOR THE EASTERN PART OF MONTANA. MEANTIME, BACK TO WASHINGTON STATE. WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF PLACES REPORTING MORE THAN A FOOT OF FRESH RAIN.
YOU LOOK AT NOT ONLY THE OLYMPIC PENINSULA, BUT A LOT OF PLACES FROM KING COUNTY, UP THROUGH SKAGIT, SKAGIT, RIVER VALLEY.
THE RIVER CONTINUES TO OVERFLOW AND A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE WATCHING EVACUATIONS MAYBE HAPPENING QUICKLY.
BE READY TO MOVE IF TOLD TO DO SO. HERE'S THE MOISTURE SOURCE. IT'S COMING FROM JUST NORTH OF THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS, HAWAIIAN ISLANDS, SITTING CLOSE TO ALMOST 2500 2500 MILES AWAY FROM SEATTLE.
BUT THE MOISTURE FETCH THE ATMOSPHERIC RIVER. THE WATER VAPOR IS GOING TO THAT BAR. AND SINCE IT'S ORIGINATING IN A WARMER AREA, THE SNOW LEVELS ARE WAY UP ABOUT 7 TO 8000FT. THAT IS STILL A CONCERN TODAY.
ANY SNOW THAT OCCURS AT THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS IS ALSO FLOODING DOZENS OF RIVERS. WE CONTINUE TO WATCH COMMUNITIES CLOSE TO RIVERS.
WE CONTINUE TO WATCH IN THE DAYS AHEAD BECAUSE WE'VE GOT A BREAK FINALLY AS WE GO THROUGH LATE FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY. BUT WE'RE NOT DONE WITH IT JUST YET.
AND TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT WE'VE GOT GOING ON HERE AS WELL. THAT ATMOSPHERIC RIVER, THE MOISTURE IS MAKING IT ALL THE WAY TO IDAHO, BUT YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE COLD AIR IS IN PLACE.
SO THAT'S NOT SNOW FOR IDAHO. THAT IS ALL RAIN. NOW AS WE LOOK AHEAD THROUGH FRIDAY, WE'LL ADD AN ADDITIONAL UP TO FIVE INCHES OF RAIN FOR THE FOOTHILLS LOCALLY, 2 TO 3 FOR THE LOWER LYING AREAS FOR PUGET SOUND, ABOUT 1 TO 3, BUT IT IS ALREADY SATURATED THE GROUND. WE'VE GOT WAVES OF ENERGY THAT COME THROUGH AGAIN. WE GET A VERY BRIEF BREAK FOR THE WEEKEND, BUT LOOK WHAT HAPPENS NEXT WEEK. LOOKING AT THE AR SCALE FOR NEXT WEEK, IT IS SCHEDULED TO BE AT ABOUT A44 OUT OF FIVE, AND THAT DOES MEAN A LOT OF MOISTURE FOR LONG DURATION. PLEASE BE PREPARED