Ready for another storm? More wind and rain is on its way
Strong winds and heavy rain are expected in southwest Washington, along the coast and north toward Bellingham through Tuesday. But that doesn’t mean the Olympia area will emerge unscathed, according to the National Weather Service.
Although the Olympia area is on the periphery of this latest weather front, it still could generate winds strong enough to knock out power, and enough rain to create some “urban ponding,” said Kirby Cook, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Seattle.
Beginning Monday night and into Tuesday, winds of 20-30 miles per hour are expected in the Olympia area, with gusts up to 40 mph, he said.
And 1 to 3 inches of rain could fall, he said.
More than 3 inches of rain is expected in the Olympic Mountains, which could result in river flooding. In Lewis County, the Chehalis River near Doty is under a flood watch, he said.
December rainfall totals in the Olympia area are off to a much wetter start than November, Cook said. So far the area has received more than 3 inches of rain. If that pace keeps up, monthly totals likely will exceed the more than 7 inches of rain that typically falls in the area in December.
November was relatively dry for the Olympia area. More than 8 inches of rain is typical for the month, but November finished at 5.9 inches.
This story was originally published December 17, 2018 at 4:13 PM.
