GRANITE FALLS — Heavy rain swelled Snohomish County rivers Thursday and more than a foot of snow is expected in the mountains this weekend.
The National Weather Service issued a warning for minor flooding along the South Fork Stillaguamish near Granite Falls Thursday morning and another minor flood warning along the Stillaguamish near Arlington in the afternoon. Other rivers, including the Skykomish near Gold Bar, were running high but not expected to top their banks.
The Stillaguamish flowed about half a foot higher than its 14-foot minor flooding level in Arlington around 3 p.m. The water was expected to start receding Thursday evening.
Meanwhile, a snowstorm was predicted for higher elevations. A winter storm watch starts Friday afternoon and continues through Saturday evening in the Cascades. Heavy snow is anticipated during that window. Forecasters are predicting a foot or more in the mountain passes, which would make for good skiing but tricky traveling, said meteorologist Art Gable, with the National Weather Service office in Seattle.
Temperatures in the mountains are forecast to remain chilly after the snowstorm, and the snow is expected to melt gradually, he said. No snow-melt related flooding is predicted in Snohomish County next week.
The weather system that’s expected to bring snow to the mountains likley won’t dump a lot of rain in lower elevations of Snohomish County.
“The front is coming through and the rain is stopping,” Gable said. “This is pretty typical weather.”
Until the water recedes along the Stillaguamish, people are urged to avoid flooded areas and steer clear of water over roads. Do not drive through floodwater, even if it looks shallow. Moving water over pavement can quickly sweep away a vehicle.
Rain-saturated ground also increases the risk of landslides around Western Washington. The state Department of Natural Resources warned of a moderate landslide risk in west Snohomish County throughout the day Thursday. The highest slide risks were elsewhere in the state, along the coast and on the Olympia Peninsula. Some annual eagle viewing events in Skagit County were canceled due to the snow, rain and landslide risks.
Kari Bray: 425-339-3439; kbray@heraldnet.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
