A strong atmospheric river is on its way to soak the Pacific Northwest later this week and potentially break records, according to KING 5.
"The event is expected to be a bit of a one-two punch setup," meteorologists say. "A surge of moisture and associated rain moves into western Washington for the second half of Thursday [June 9] into early Friday [June 10]. This initial surge of rain looks to be the heaviest of the two."
The second round of rainfall is expected to come overnight Friday and into Saturday (June 11). Overall, experts believe widespread rain may total 0.75 to 1.5 inches through Sunday (June 12). The foothills and mountains can expect to see heavier rainfall.
This is also a rare weather event, too, since this type of storm system usually comes to the region during the fall, not late spring. June tends to be drier and sunnier for Western Washington, but this atmospheric river may be one for the history books.
"Keep in mind, Seattle averages 1.45 inches of rain for the entire month of June," KING 5 reports. "Seattle could see close to one inch of rain, if not more, over a 72-hour period, which would make this June one of the wettest on record. Additional cities can expect to potentially break daily rainfall records with this event."
Reporters say heavy flooding isn't a concern but be on the lookout for more minor floods, especially in areas with heavy rain, poor drainage systems, and urban layouts. Landslides are also a possibility.