National Weather Service report  – Wednesday, March 30, 2011

FLOOD WATCH

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA

500 AM PDT WED MAR 30 2011

..A STRONG PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN TO THE COAST AND MOUNTAINS OF WESTERN WASHINGTON TODAY THROUGH AT LEAST THURSDAY MORNING…

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CLALLAM-JEFFERSON-KING-LEWIS-MASON-PIERCE-SKAGIT-SNOHOMISH-

THURSTON-WHATCOM-

500 AM PDT WED MAR 30 2011

..FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON…

THE FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES FOR

* PORTIONS OF WESTERN WASHINGTON…INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING  COUNTIES…CLALLAM…JEFFERSON…SKAGIT…WHATCOM…KING…

 LEWIS…MASON…PIERCE…SNOHOMISH…THURSTON….

* FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON

* A WARM FRONTAL SYSTEM AS ALREADY MOVED INTO WESTERN WASHINGTON

  THIS MORNING. THE FRONTAL BAND IS EXPECTED TO STALL OVER THE

  AREA FOR A 24 TO 36 HOUR PERIOD PRODUCING HEAVY PRECIPITATION

  ALONG THE COAST AND MOUNTAINS. FREEZING LEVELS…WHICH WERE NEAR

  4000 FEET LATE TUESDAY AFTERNOON…HAVE RISEN UP TO NEAR 9000

  FEET EARLY THIS MORNING.

* THE RIVERS UNDER THE GREATEST THREAT OF FLOODING ARE THE ONES

  THAT FLOW OUT OF THE CENTRAL CASCADES. THESE INCLUDE…BUT ARE

  NOT LIMITED TO…THE SNOQUALMIE… SNOHOMISH…AND STILLAGUAMISH.

  FLOODING COULD START AS EARLY AS LATE THIS AFTERNOON ON THE

  UPPER REACHES OF THE SNOQUALMIE. THERE IS A CHANCE THE SNOHOMISH

  RIVER WILL REACH MAJOR FLOOD. THE SKOKOMISH RIVER IN MASON

  COUNTY WILL ALSO LIKELY FLOOD…POSSIBLY AS EARLY AS LATE

  TONIGHT.

  RAINFALL TOTALS FOR THE EVENT ARE PREDICTED TO BE IN THE 4 TO 7

  INCH RANGE IN THE CENTRAL CASCADES AND UP TO 5 INCHES IN THE

  OLYMPICS. OVER THE NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN CASCADES SOUTH OF MOUNT

  RAINIER STORM TOTALS ARE EXPECTED TO BE MOSTLY IN THE 2 TO 4

  INCH RANGE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A FLOOD WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR FLOODING BUT FLOODING IS NOT IMMINENT OR OCCURRING. MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND BE READY TO ACT QUICKLY IF FLOODING IS OBSERVED OR A WARNING IS ISSUED.