An atmospheric river is heading toward Pierce County. Will it cause flooding?
The National Weather Service announced an atmospheric river is bringing heavy to moderate rain across Western Washington this week.
Will Pierce County residents have to worry about a repeat of December’s pineapple express-fueled flooding?
If you’re gearing to fill up sandbags, you can breathe a sigh of relief.
Though Tacoma will see steady rain through late Friday, accumulating about 1.5 to 2 inches total, the NWS isn’t expecting local rivers to flood, said NWS meteorologist Anna Lindeman.
The risk for flooding is more in the Cascades where the runoff from melting snow increases the potential for river flooding.
There could be localized ponding and nuisance flooding in Tacoma, but nothing out of the ordinary for the area’s “typical spring rain,” Lindeman said.
The melting snow also brings an increased risk for landslides as the rain continues, according to the NWS briefing.
Temperatures will remain fairly warm throughout the week, peaking in the mid- to upper 50s through Friday then cooling off to the low 50s on Saturday.
Though Tacoma likely won’t be seeing any snow through the end of the week, there is a potential for snow next week, Lindeman said.
People who plan to drive through the Cascades this week should take extra caution and not drive through flooding water, Lindeman said. Just 6 inches of fast-moving water can knock over an adult, while 12 inches can carry away a small car.
