Seattle nearly measures month's worth of rain in 1 day with more on the way
June has had its fair share of wet weather in the Pacific Northwest, during what is typically a dry time of year. AccuWeather forecasters say that frequent rounds of precipitation will continue through the weekend.
Heavy rain arrived for the area during the second half of the week. The heaviest rain on Thursday was confined to coastal Washington. Seattle received 1.10 inches of rain, easily breaking the daily record of 0.72 of an inch set in 1993. Not only was a new daily record set, but the amount of rain on Thursday was nearly the total for an average June. Typically, 1.45 inches of rain falls during the entire month in Seattle. Measurable rain has fallen on seven out of the first 11 days so far this month, totaling 2.31 inches.
Pendleton, Oregon, has already received 1.75 inches of rain in June, more than the 1.11 inches that are normal for the entire month.
Another round of rain is in the cards for the West to end the weekend, but while this batch is expected to track slightly farther south it will only graze Northern California.
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"The end of the weekend will be downright miserable from far northwest California through Oregon and into Idaho, with soaking rain and unseasonably chilly air," AccuWeather Meteorologist Reneé Duff said.
On Sunday, precipitation began to target portions of Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana as well as sections of California and Nevada.
"Rain can be heavy enough to lead to incidents of flooding, especially since many of these areas have already surpassed their normal precipitation for June through the first 11 days of the month," Duff added.
Unfortunately, persistent rainfall and warmer conditions earlier in the previous week worked to accelerate snowmelt in the mountains.
"The concern is that the temperature of the snow pack at intermediate elevations is close to the freezing mark and ready to melt," said AccuWeather Senior Storm Warning Meteorologist William Clark.
The liquid contained within the snow combined with the rain will add to the risk of flooding. In locations where flash flooding occurs at night, the situation can become especially dangerous.
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There will be a little bit of colder air with that storm, which will help to slow the snowmelt. In fact, some of the highest elevations may even receive some snow on Sunday night. Travel problems are not anticipated, however, as any snow should remain above pass level.
This wet pattern over the Pacific Northwest is something that Southern California has rarely experienced since the start of 2022. San Diego has only measured 2.51 inches of rain since the start of January.
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In addition, rain may reach farther south into Northern California and part of the Sierra. Unlike areas in coastal Washington and Oregon, rain is desperately needed in California. Over 97% of the Golden State is in moderate drought or worse, according to the United States Drought Monitor.
Unfortunately, any rain in California will amount to a mere drop in the bucket, and no rain is expected in central or southern portions of the state.
There is some good news, however, as the late-weekend storm will trim temperatures across the Sacramento and the San Joaquin valleys following a hot week.
Precipitation will linger into Monday before pulling into Canada by Tuesday. There is expected to be a break for a few days, with the dry weather more typical of June. By late in the week and next weekend, a few showers may return, but the rain should be spottier than recently.
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