Heavy winds, rain expected to blanket area through Wednesday

Grays Harbor and Pacific County to see upwards of 55 mph winds, three inches of rain

By Ryan Sparks • September 22, 2020 3:30 pm

Heavy winds and rain were expected to hit Southwest Washington and last into Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service’s Seattle bureau.

A “Pineapple Express” weather phenomenon, also known as an atmospheric river, is expected to blanket the area with an average of 1.5 to 2 inches of rain and south wind gusts of 35-45 mph beginning at approximately midnight Tuesday and lasting through Wednesday.

“We’re basically expecting the leading edge of the rain to push in sometime after midnight or at least close to the overnight period, certainly before dawn,” said NWS Forecaster Matthew Cullen, adding that isolated rain pockets could bring up to three inches of rain. “We’re expecting 1.5 to two inches of rain across Grays Harbor and Pacific County. Certainly when you get away from the immediate coastline and into higher terrain, you’ll see higher amounts there. But even along the coastline itself, upward of three inch amounts are possible.”

Winds are expected to hit 35-45 mph inland in both Grays Harbor and Pacific County with gusts reaching upward of 55 mph on the coast. Cullen advised staying away from “exposed locations” due to the danger of high winds.

“You should avoid any jetties or that sort of thing as those areas are where the strongest winds will surface,” he said.

Grays Harbor and Pacific county rivers are not expected show signs of flooding, but Cullen said the combination of wind and rain brings the potential for downed debris and storm-drain blockage, which creates hazards all their own.

“For the larger rivers, we are not expecting any flooding at this point, mostly because they are starting off so low,” he said. “But in the cities and towns, the rainfall will be quite heavy and will come down quite strong, so if you have leaves, tree branches and other debris blocking the storm drains, some localized ponding of water could definitely happen. So be aware of that and never drive through a flooded area. And with the wind speeds increasing the potential of downed trees and power lines, try to avoid travel during the peak of the winds.”

The weather system is expected to bring showers with the potential for isolated thunderstorms on Thursday in the afternoon and evening hours.

A weaker weather system is expected to follow on Friday, bringing more rainfall to the region.

For more information, visit the National Weather Service website at weather.gov/seattle/.