An atmospheric river has brought heavy rain, flooding and unseasonably warm temperatures to the Pacific Northwest, closing Amtrak service, schools and roads as it shattered daily rainfall and temperature records in Washington state.
The National Weather Service issued flood warnings in parts of western Washington, including in areas north and east of Seattle and across a large swath of the Olympic Peninsula.
Atmospheric rivers, sometimes known as a “Pineapple Express” because the long and narrow bands of water vapor convey warm subtropical moisture across the Pacific from near Hawaii, delivered enormous amounts of rain and snow to California last winter.
Seattle set a new rainfall record for that date with 1.5 inches, said Kirby Cook, science and operations officer at the NWS office in Seattle.
Most of the precipitation from the atmospheric river was recorded between the coast and the crest of the Cascade Mountains, experts said, with some mountain areas expected to receive up to 9 inches over 36 hours ending Dec. 5. Some 2-6 inches of precipitation were expected in Oregon’s Coast Range on Tuesday.
The NWS said it expected to see precipitation and temperatures climb to record-breaking heights in western Washington on Tuesday.
In Granite Falls, Washington, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of Seattle, video posted on social media by Kira Mascorella showed water surrounding homes and flooding driveways and yards. Mascorella, who lives in nearby Arlington, said it was “pouring down rain” when she woke up Tuesday and was still raining hard late in the afternoon. She said she called out of work because of water on the roadways and wasn’t sure if they would be passable Wednesday.
In Monroe, Washington, fire and rescue crews reported bringing to safety four people and a dog who had been trapped in a park by swollen waters.
A landslide closed parts of a Seattle trail popular with walkers, joggers and cyclists, the city’s parks department said. Crews were assessing the damage to the Burke-Gilman Trail and working on setting up detour routes.
Heavy rains also battered Oregon. Parts of U.S. 101 were closed because of flooding, including in areas around Seaside and at the junctions with U.S. Route 26 and Oregon Route 6, the state’s transportation department said.