SEATTLE — Rain will start to taper off this weekend for a partially dry Saturday and a mostly dry Sunday. Floodwaters will recede for much of western Washington as the weekend goes on.
The weather pattern is a stark departure from this week's weather in western Washington. Heavy snow in the mountains has halted pass travel flooding will remain a concern for many counties through Saturday afternoon.
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a Flood Watch for parts of King County through Saturday afternoon, with active flood warnings for several area rivers and creeks.
Heavy snow caused Snoqualmie, Stevens, Blewett and White passes to close due to hazardous driving conditions. The Washington State Department of Transportation said the passes were expected to be closed through Sunday.
A 20-mile stretch of Interstate 5 in Lewis County closed for several hours due to flooding Friday morning before reopening to traffic around 12:45 p.m.
The NWS said the recent heavy rain and melting snow elevated the threat of landslides across western Washington. A landslide knocked one house in Seattle's Magnolia neighborhood off its foundation, trapping one man inside for a brief period of time.
Saturday, conditions are forecasted to be drier with the exception of scattered showers along the coast and over the cascades.
River flooding is expected to gradually decrease Saturday with most rivers receding. Most Flood Warnings expire Saturday afternoon or evening, with the exception of active warnings for the Chehalis River, one which expires Monday morning and another Tuesday evening, and the Skokomish River at Potlach which will remain in effect until Sunday morning.
Sunday may have a little morning fog. Otherwise, it will be a mostly sunny day with highs in the mid-40s.
We'll start next week with a few showers and sun breaks Monday through Wednesday, but no big storms are in the forecast. High temperatures will be in the upper 40s to low 50s.