A steady flow of energy and moisture will usher in storm after storm to the Pacific Northwest over the next week.
These storms will be intense at times, producing heavy snow in the mountains and potential floods in the foothills and valleys. The storms will hit the same general areas from eastern and Northern California to western portions of Oregon and Washington, as well as southwestern British Columbia, Canada. Major cities in the line of fire are Reno, Nevada; Sacramento, California; Portland, Oregon; Seattle; and Vancouver, British Columbia.
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The frequency and strength of these storms will lead to rain totals of 5 to 10 inches in parts of the region, with snow totals possibly exceeding 3 feet in higher elevations of the Cascades and Sierra Nevada.
The storms will also produce wind gusts of more than 60 mph at times but could reach 100 mph on the Sierra ridges. Driving will be treacherous for truckers going over many mountain passes.
This long-duration event will not only delay or even stop freight transportation at times — road, rail and air — but it could impact operations at intermodal hubs, oil facilities and ports.
Besides flooding, whiteout conditions and an elevated rollover risk are likely due to the winds. An additional concern is heavy precipitation that will fall in wildfire burn scar areas. This could lead to major mudslides and debris flows, which may block roads in various parts of the region.
Storms could spread inland on certain days, drenching valleys in the northern Rockies of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, while dumping heavy snow in the mountains. Places in this impact zone include Spokane, Washington; Boise, Idaho; Butte and West Yellowstone, Montana; as well as Jackson, Wyoming.
There is an upside to the storms — they will likely put an end to most wildfires still burning in the West, and they will cut into the drought. The Pacific Northwest has been in a serious drought for months, with many areas at “extreme” or “exceptional” levels, the two worst categories assigned by the U.S. Drought Monitor. Steady downpours like the ones forecast don’t usually start flowing into the Northwest until late November in a typical year, according to AccuWeather meteorologists.
Major lanes of concern
• Interstate 5 from Sacramento to Seattle.
• Interstate 80 from Reno to San Francisco.
• Interstate 84 from Portland to Boise.
• Interstate 90 from Butte to Seattle.
• Trans-Canada Highway from Vancouver to Skihist Provincial Park.
Other notable weekend weather
Storms could produce large hail, tornadoes and severe straight-line winds Sunday in portions of the Plains and Mississippi Valley. Areas in the potential path include Dallas; Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Oklahoma; Little Rock; Memphis; St. Louis; Kansas City, Missouri; Paducah, Kentucky; and southern Illinois.
Click here for more FreightWaves articles by Nick Austin.
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