Seattle weather: Winds, flooding and mountain snow

Seattle weather: Scattered showers by Wednesday afternoon

Showers will be more scattered by Wednesday afternoon with even a few sunbreaks. Highs will be cooler midweek through the weekend with the snow levels staying lower. We will be watching for landslide concerns and river flooding through the end of the week.

SEATTLE - Hundreds of thousands of Washingtonians are without power as forceful winds whipped through the region into early Wednesday morning. While it'll stay gusty this afternoon, winds won't be nearly as strong as what we saw earlier today.

Additionally, a rare blizzard warning for the Central and North Cascades expires at noon. Moderate river flooding is forecast in areas hit hard by flooding last week.

(FOX 13 Seattle)

Strong winds in western Washington

Local perspective:

As of 10 a.m. on Wednesday, there are no more official wind alerts in effect. The most powerful winds are behind us. The most intense gusts in the lowlands were recorded at 71 mph at Whidbey Island. Atop the highest peaks, Alpental got a gust of 112 mph. Throughout the afternoon, gusts will mostly range under 40 mph. 

Unfortunately, even more winds are expected on Thursday. However, the storm won't be as strong as the one we endured today. Tomorrow, we might be flirting with the "Wind Advisory" criteria which, if issued, would mean that moderately strong winds combined with saturated soil could bring down some trees and trigger more outages.

(FOX 13 Seattle)

Flooding on Washington rivers

We're forecasting minor to moderate river flooding today and tomorrow. In most areas, water levels will gradually drop on Friday. A couple of spots could get close to major flooding; still, levels aren't expected to reach what the region experienced last week.

Take a look at river conditions as of 10 a.m. today: 

(FOX 13 Seattle)

Mountain snow in the Washington Cascades and Olympics

Stevens Pass got a foot of snow overnight, but it remains closed from recent weather impacts. State officials say it won't reopen for months.

White Pass also closed Wednesday morning due to weather hazards and numerous trees falling onto the road. 

The rare blizzard warning, issued due to a combo of snow and wind, will wrap up at noon. After that, snow could still accumulate over the mountains, but conditions won't be as dangerous.

As snow levels remain lower in the coming days, including for the start of Christmas week, drivers will need to check pass conditions daily. Almost each day, there are chances of accumulating snow at the passes. Stay tuned for more!

(FOX 13 Seattle)

Landslide risk in Washington

Many landslides have already happened in western Washington in the last week. Across the region in the coming days, the risk of landslides remains heightened. The areas most vulnerable to landslides and debris flows are steep coastal bluffs, recently burned areas and other steep hillsides.

(FOX 13 Seattle)

Stay with the FOX 13 Weather Team. We'll keep you ahead of the storm!

Warmly, 

Meteorologist Abby Acone and Chief Meteorologist Brian MacMillan

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