Prolonged period of wet, active weather to begin Saturday in Pacific Northwest

Rain and mountain snow will return to the Pacific Northwest late Saturday and continue through Tuesday.

The first round will come on Saturday, associated with an area of low pressure moving into Vancouver Island.

Strong winds will impact the coast with gusts as high as 60 mph, in addition to moderate to heavy rain. Small hail and a few thunderstorms will also be possible.

Impactful mountain-pass snow is possible, with at least 8 to 12 inches at Stevens and Snoqualmie passes in Washington. Those with travel interests across the passes late Saturday into Sunday will want to prepare for winter travel conditions.

Graphic from FOX Weather

After a brief break, the region will then be impacted by a moderate atmospheric river late Sunday through Monday night.

Multiple inches of precipitation is expected, leading to the potential of river flooding into the middle of next week. The most responsive Skokomish River will likely reach flood stage, as at least 3 to 6 inches of rain is predicted from Saturday night through Monday night.

The National Weather Service said forecast snow levels look to range from 4,000 to 6,000 feet from north to south across western Washington.

The active and wet pattern will persist through much of next week as quick shots of rain and mountain snow push across the region.

Temperatures will be seasonable, with highs generally in the lower 50s and lows in the lower 40s.

This story first appeared on FOX Weather. 

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