Stormy pattern to ramp back up across Northwest following early March dry spell

Following a drier than normal start to March for much of the Pacific Northwest, stormy weather will return to the region through midweek.

“A series of weak storms is expected to push onshore and move through the Pacific Northwest through the middle of the week,” said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alan Reppert.

The increased stormy activity is expected to begin early Monday, as the first storm brings rain to the coastal region and dumps snow across the Cascades and the higher elevations of the northern Rockies.

“The heaviest rain and snow looks to take place through Monday night,” added Reppert.

Rainfall amounts will range from 0.50 of an inch to 1 inch through Monday night. Several inches of snow will fall in the highest elevations of the Cascades. Snow may mix with rain in some of the higher passes in Washington, like Snoqualmie.

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A push of cold air with this first storm will erase the above-normal temperatures of the weekend, replacing them with below-normal temperatures for late March.

The colder conditions will bring falling snow levels across the Cascades, and set the stage for more snow through the middle of the week.

Unsettled weather persists through Tuesday and Wednesday, as snow levels continue to drop, perhaps as low as 2,000 feet Tuesday night and early Wednesday.

Many of the in Washington and Oregon passes could have a few inches of snow before things are said and done on Wednesday.

Precipitation near the coast and in the valleys will arrive mainly in the form of rain, which could be beneficial for many of these locations.

Some of the major cities in the Pacific Northwest had a wetter-than-normal January and some were even wetter than normal in February, especially in Washington. However, March has been a different story.

As of March 21, cities including Portland, Oregon, and Seattle and Spokane, Washington, have only recorded 34% of their normal rainfall for the month. It has been even drier farther south along Interstate 5. The cities of Salem, Eugene and Medford, Oregon, have only had 31, 24 and 21%, respectively, of their normal March rainfall amounts in the same timeframe.

The dryness spilling over from the winter in many of these locations has left a drought across central Washington, as well as most of Oregon and Northern California, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Data collected by the U.S. Drought Monitor as of March 17 shows drought conditions across much of the West. The bright yellow coloring indicates “abnormally dry”, while the ten and orange signify moderate and severe droughts, respectively.

Most of the locations in the Pacific Northwest experiencing drought have seen little rainfall since the last update from the drought monitor on March 17.

Much like California needing a ‘Miracle March’ to alleviate drought and help to delay the onset of the upcoming wildfire season, the dry areas of the Pacific Northwest may be facing the same fate.

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source: yahoo.com