Persistent, sometimes heavy rain will move into Whatcom and Skagit counties late Friday, Jan. 26, according to the National Weather Service, increasing the flood risk on the Nooksack and Skagit rivers into early next week.
A special weather service message called a hydrologic outlook, issued at 1:49 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 25, indicates an atmospheric river could bring heavy precipitation to the North Cascades and Olympics, Friday through early next week, although the areas that will get the most rain remain uncertain.
The latest river-level forecasts, as of Thursday afternoon, show the Nooksack River cresting at 3 feet below flood stage in Ferndale Monday, Jan. 29. The Skagit River is anticipated to crest at Concrete about 2 feet below flood stage.
Whatcom County’s Division of Emergency Management (DEM) is monitoring weather conditions and should know more about the coming week’s flood risk after a Friday morning briefing with the weather service, DEM Public Information Officer Amy Cloud said.
Warmer temperatures will arrive with the rain, pushing the thermometer to a predicted 58 degrees on Monday, Jan. 29. The record high for that date at Bellingham International Airport was 62, set in 1992.
Ralph Schwartz is a former CDN local government reporter; send tips and information to newstips@cascadiadaily.com.
