Windy weather on way, National Weather Service says
The National Weather Service said a strong cold front will sweep into Washington and Oregon, meaning winds will “increase significantly” Sunday morning and afternoon.
There was also the possibility of snow down to 2,000 feet late Sunday and into Monday morning, officials warned.
The bulk of the bluster will hit the Kittitas Valley, the Lower Columbia Basin between Prosser and the Tri-Cities, and north-central Oregon, according to a wind advisory issued by the weather agency. Wind gusts of 45 to 55 miles per hour were expected in north-central Oregon and 30 mph winds in Yakima, the weather service said.
The cold front likely will bring the first snowfall of the season for many lower elevations, according to officials.
“Cold air behind the cold front will lower snow levels down to near 2,000 feet by early Monday morning,” the news release said.
Snoqualmie Pass could receive 1 to 2 inches of accumulated snow on Sunday and another 1 to 2 inches Sunday evening.
Travel may be difficult across most of Eastern Washington and Eastern Oregon on Sunday due to the strong winds.
And those traveling late Sunday and early Monday should anticipate winter driving conditions, officials said.
On the West Side, Snohomish County emergency crews kept an eye on rising rivers as rescuers helped families escape flooded areas.
KOMO-TV reported that a strong rainstorm on Friday night led to high water. The town of Silvana, Washington, sits in the middle of the Stillaguamish River and the only way to get in or out was by hovercraft.
The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office said one man tried to drive through but needed to be rescued.
First responders went house to house, by boat, but many people chose to ride out the storms.
A few miles upriver, the Stillaguamish flowed over state Route 530. That led to escorts across the flooded roadway.
The Sheriff’s Office warned drivers to never cross flooded roads.
A woman in Monroe, Washington, called for a rescue on Friday when she got trapped with her dogs.