A storm continues to spin over the Pacific Northwest, dumping heavy snow in the mountains and drenching rain in the valleys.
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Several inches of snow piled up Monday in the highest elevations of the Washington Cascades, with another 12 to 24 inches possible through Tuesday night. The National Weather Service is continuing its winter weather advisory for these areas, including Lyman, Stevens Pass, Skykomish, Snoqualmie Pass, Paradise and Longmire. The biggest snow totals will occur above 4,000 feet in elevation, but snow levels will drop to about 3,000 feet Tuesday night.
Road conditions could become hazardous and difficult on portions of major routes such as Interstate 90 and U.S. Highway 2. Chain controls are likely and there’s always a chance of road closures. Gusty winds and intense snowfall rates could quickly limit visibility at times.
In lower elevations and foothills of western Washington, western Oregon, far Northern California and northern Idaho, periods of heavy rain may lead to river flooding and high water across roads. Totals of 2 to 4 inches are possible along the Interstate 5 and U.S. Highway 101 corridors. The silver lining — the soaking rain will spread across areas that need drought relief.
The NWS had no flood watches in place in the region as of Tuesday morning, but this could change if flooding is reported to the NWS or radar indicates likely flooding.
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Periods of heavy snow, gusty winds and potential whiteouts will also impact drivers Tuesday in the Teton and Gros Ventre Mountains of western Wyoming, including sections of U.S. Highways 26 and 89.
Major lanes of concern
• Interstate 5 from Seattle to Stockton, California.
• Interstate 90 from Seattle to Butte, Montana.
• U.S. Highway 101 from Olympia, Washington, to San Francisco.
• U.S. Highway 12 in Washington from west of Yakima to east of Mossy Rock.
Click here for more FreightWaves articles by Nick Austin.
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