Welcome to June-uary, that time of year in Western Washington when our eagerly awaited summer puts us off for another month.
This year’s annual letdown will start with a bit of drama, said Trent Davis, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Seattle. An atmospheric river forming off the coast is on its way to drench the region beginning Sunday and into the early part of next week. Records may fall.
Friday was the day to enjoy outside. On Saturday, light rains and gray clouds will likely settle in, an all too familiar sight this time of year.
Conditions are right for another round of northern lights in Washington. And yet, the display is likely to be hidden behind the early summer curtain of clouds.
From Sunday to Tuesday, the rain is going to be significant. Seattle and its surrounding areas could get up to 1.5 inches of rain, far outpacing the daily average for June of 0.06 inches.
The 24-hour rainfall record in June at Sea-Tac Airport is 1.08 inches, Davis said. This weekend’s weather could topple that record.
A flood watch was issued Friday afternoon for much of Western Washington stretching from Tacoma to Bellingham, including the Seattle metro area.
The most fearsome moisture is likely to fall in the Cascade mountains and their foothills in Snohomish and possibly Skagit counties. The mountains themselves could absorb as much as 5 inches of rain, raising the possibility of large runoff. Flooding is particularly possible in the Snoqualmie River near Carnation.
Lower-lying areas near the mountains could see between 2 and 3 inches.
There is also a 30% chance of gusts up to 20 mph in the area.
The weather will start to taper off throughout Tuesday. Wednesday’s forecast looks more like that typical June weather of overcast and drizzles.
The good news for summer fiends: The region is expected to warm up next week on Thursday and Friday. Though forecasts are uncertain this many days out, temperatures could rise above normal by the end of next week and into the weekend.
