• Heavy Rain WA/OR

    From Mike Powell@618:250/1 to All on Tue Feb 25 07:56:00 2025
    AWUS01 KWNH 250750
    FFGMPD
    ORZ000-WAZ000-252000-

    Mesoscale Precipitation Discussion 0052
    NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
    250 AM EST Tue Feb 25 2025

    Areas affected...Lower Foothills of Western Washington & Far
    Northwest Oregon...

    Concerning...Heavy rainfall

    Valid 250800Z - 252000Z

    SUMMARY...Reducing rainfall rates to .25-.3"/hr and spots of
    additional 2-3" adds to streamflows/ongoing river flooding within
    western facing foothills of Cascades/Olympics, as well as much of
    the Coastal Range.

    DISCUSSION...GOES-W WV shows an textbook symmetric deep layer
    fairly broad cyclone just west of the entrance to the Juan de Fuca
    strait, which is accompanied by a sub 985mb surface low. While
    the cyclone is starting to fill well past peak maturity, a subtle
    lobe of vorticity and associated jet streak is rounding the base
    of the cyclone resulting in broadening diffluent/divergent
    downstream flow across W WA increasing westerly surface to 700mb
    flow. Given onshore surface winds are gusting over 50 mph that
    increase to 70kts by 700mb slowly veering from WSW to W over the
    next few hours, is solidly orthogonal to the SW slopes of the
    Olympics and while moisture is limited due to the deep cold air
    through depth, total PWats of .75" and the strength of winds will
    continue to result in solid rainfall rates of .25 to .3"/hr in the
    lower slopes before the freezing levels about 3Kft.

    The upper-low will continue to spin down but approach the coastal
    range maintaining the strong moisture flux with very slow
    reduction with the winds. The Willapa Hills will take the
    greatest brunt of flux closer to the track of the low and best
    orthogonal flow to support .25-.3"/hr for about 9-12 hours which
    will allow for an additional 2-3"+ though spots along the NW
    Oregon Coastal Range in Clatsop and Tillamook counties will see
    slightly reduced rates, but still potent for 1-2.5" totals. Given
    soil conditions are already nearly fully saturated per NASA SPoRT
    LIS product suggesting 85-95% saturation through 40cm, most will
    continue to run off and maintain already increased stream rates
    and flooding conditions in downstream rivers, yet rates are not
    likely to result in rapid rises.

    Downstream into the Cascades, the slopes increase rapidly with
    only limited areas of the lower foothills below freezing levels,
    with much of the moisture above to fall as snow. Still, similar
    1-3" totals in the lower foothills extend mainly north of the
    Columbia river in the Washington Cascades with best rates up to
    .25"/hr likely as the core of the upper-level low crosses later
    this morning into early afternoon (15-20z), ending the prolonged
    atmospheric river event.

    Gallina

    ATTN...WFO...PQR...SEW...

    ATTN...RFC...NWRFC...NWC...

    LAT...LON 48942200 48742184 48432150 47742151 47592157
    47042186 46692232 46322237 46232248 46172269
    45992307 45572326 44912345 44722383 45082410
    46302409 47572444 48352474 48232423 47882394
    47502371 47432326 46852323 46682282 46812275
    47032231 47492197 48092192 48412207 48792219

    $$
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