A wet weekend ahead for most in Western Washington

Seattle - On and off showers will continue through the daylight hours Thursday, as the Pacific Northwest prepares for a very wet and warm weekend ahead.

The first three weeks of January started off cool. Remember those days in the low to mid 20s? Much warmer temps are expected to end the month.

January 2024 is also trending close to average for rainfall right now. With heavier rain heading to Western Washington over the next seven days, we will likely end up in a surplus to end the month.

Widespread rain showers will transition to spotty rain showers this afternoon. Those should end around dinnertime this evening. Highs will make it close to average for this time of year, in the upper 40s and low 50s.

Friday will start off dry, but widespread rain showers will hit in the afternoon and stick around through Saturday. This system will bring breezy wind at times.

Snow levels will rise dramatically over the next few days to well above the passes. Heavy rain will fall on the mountains at times starting Friday afternoon and snow melt could contribute to flooding issues on our area rivers early next week. 

This weather pattern will tap into subtropical moisture, bringing very mild and moist air to the Pacific Northwest between Sunday and Wednesday. This will bring near-record temperatures, heavy rain, and the potential for quickly rising rivers.

Beyond the seven day forecast, temperatures are still expected to fall back to normal or below normal by late next week.