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Skagit River expected to break all-time flooding record
FOX 13 Meteorologist Brian MacMillan is tracking historic river flooding in Western Washington. The Skagit River is expected to crest at an all-time high on Tuesday.
Seattle - Rivers are rising to historic levels in the north Puget Sound area and on the Olympic Peninsula Monday afternoon as an atmospheric river battered the north sound over the past two days. A cold front is sweeping through the area today, bringing strong wind gusts and heavy rain.
The Skagit River is one of many expected to crest at record levels. The Skagit River is at "major" flood stage this afternoon and is forecasted to crest at over 37.5 feet Tuesday morning, which would break the all-time record of 37.4 feet set in 1990. Other rivers in Whatcom and Skagit counties are seeing major flooding issues this afternoon, with homes and businesses under water and rescues underway.
Wind is also an issue this afternoon as the cold front passes through the region. Wind gusts have reached damaging speeds in Western Washington today, leaving trees down and tens of thousands without power. Gusts in the north sound have topped out between 50-60 mph as of 1:15 PM. The central and south sound has registered gusts just a strong in a few areas.
Later today, the winds will begin to calm and you'll notice more of a chill in the air as the cold air takes over. Showers will linger, especially in the area of the convergence zone.
Snow levels will drop dramatically later today and tonight, bringing several inches of snow to the Cascades, especially the higher passes.
Tuesday through next weekend will be cooler, with highs in the mid 40s to around 50°. The extended period looks more dry than wet, with the next round of widespread rain holding off until Thursday afternoon.
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FOLLOW: Lisa Villegas, Erin Mayovsky, Brian MacMillan and Scott Sistek