Atmospheric river to slam into Western Washington this weekend

Seattle - Thursday will bring more afternoon sunshine, but cool temperatures for Western Washington, as the area gears up for an atmospheric river this weekend.

Expect decreasing cloud cover for Thursday with plenty of afternoon sunshine.

A map showing the high temperatures forecast for Thursday in Western Washington.

It will be cool with plenty of afternoon sunshine Thursday in Western Washington. (FOX 13 Seattle)

The full moon will be low and appear large on the horizon tonight. The Hunter’s Moon will be 222,055 miles from Earth, which is the closest Supermoon of the year. It's named the Hunter's Moon because it was considered a signal for hunters to prepare for the long winter.

A graphic showing the different names of the full moons.

The full moon will be bright in the sky tonight. The Hunter's Moon will appear 14% bigger than normal. (FOX 13 Seattle)

Saturday, an atmospheric river will drop south into Western Washington, bringing significant rainfall to the Washington Coast and the Olympic Peninsula. 1 to 2 inches of rain is possible in the lowlands, 2 to 3 inches in the Washington Cascades, and 3 to 6 inches in the Olympics and North Cascades.

Breezy winds will also move in with this system, with gusts up to 40 mph on the coast and usual windy spots in the north Puget Sound.

A map showing the heavy rain in Western Washington on Saturday.

An atmospheric river of rain will take aim at Western Washington Saturday. (FOX 13 Seattle)

If you're heading to one of the many sports events this weekend, be prepared for rain. Friday, Saturday and Sunday will be wet.

It will be very wet for the Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers match on Saturday.

The rain should hold off for Thursday's Kraken game, but Saturday's games will be wet in Western Washington. (FOX 13 Seattle)

Things should dry out Tuesday and Wednesday next week with partly to mostly sunny skies. Temperatures will remain below normal in the greater Seattle area.