Weather swings from arctic front to wet with warm temps

After another surprise burst of snow this past weekend, forecasters attentions are once again turning to the potential for flooding as rising temperatures and rain in the mountains could soon begin to overload local rivers and streams.

According to National Weather Service Meteorologist Dennis D’Amico, our weather this week will be transitioning into a warm and wet pattern that will see snow levels rise, but could bring heavy rains, especially in the mountains.

“We’re talking a foot to a foot-and-a-half of rain in the mountains,” he said, adding “Much lower in the lowlands - a couple of inches.”

D’Amico said snow levels should jump to 5,000 feet over the Cascades late Monday, but said the current system could drop a lot of rain, especially in the mountains, which prompted the National Weather Service to issue Monday afternoon a flood watch for all rivers in Western Washington.

In addition to floods, the rain and snow has increased avalanche danger through the mountains and passes.

Snoqualmie Pass was closed Monday for avalanche control. As of Monday, no reopening time was established.

Both Stevens Pass and White Pass were open Monday.

As our weather gets back to normal for this time of year, D’Amico said the cold and snow in December was due to a change in where our weather usually comes from.

Instead of the normal “Pacific flow” that brings our weather from the southwest, December’s weather was dominated by arctic weather form the north. D’Amico also said that cold air that usually gets trapped on the Eastern side of the mountains made its way to our side and “made all the difference” in delivering a cold and snowy end to 2008.

D’Amico said Sunday’s blast of snow was a good example of surface temperatures being lower than normal and creating snow out of what would normally be rain.

According to D’Amico, long-term predictions call for above normal precipitation through January and colder-than-normal temperatures through March.

For information on pass conditions and closures visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/passes.

Contact Kent Reporter General assignment reporter Brian Beckley at bbeckley@kentreporter.com or 253-872-6600, ext. 5054.

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