Category 5 atmospheric rivers bring record breaking rains to Pacific Northwest

The Pacific Northwest has gotten more rain in just the first two weeks of November than they normally see for the entire month. The region was hit with extreme rainfall, extreme flooding, rough winds and landslides.

W WA Situation Update!
✅ Wind - peaked, will gradually decrease overnight
✅ Coastal Flooding - peaked, will decrease with tide
✅ River Flooding - many rivers have crested though a few will not crest until Tuesday (e.g. Skagit at Mt Vernon)
✅ Mtn Snow - expected tonight#wawx

— NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) November 15, 2021

This November has been one of the top five wettest Novembers on record for Seattle.

"November rainfall through Sunday was 6.83 inches. The normal for the entire month is 6.31," said Maddie Kristell, meteorologist for the National Weather Service (NWS) in Seattle.

Towns that are expecting a lot of rainfall have been ordered to evacuate. A flood warning was issued for Snoqualmie River until Tuesday. The Skagit River and the Bogachiel river are also expected to flood.

Contributing to the flooding and rising water levels is snowmelt. Because of the amount of rain they are receiving, snowy areas are melting off and running into the rivers.

Snow levels are on their way down. Here's a 4 hour difference from the Crystal Mountain webcam. #wawx pic.twitter.com/qF3rXsfGsq

— NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) November 15, 2021

In the forecast are also high winds of 30 to 40 mph. The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory through 4 p.m. for Seattle and parts of the surrounding area. In some places, wind gusts are expected to reach 60 mph.

Here is a collection of the HIGHEST WIND REPORTS over the past 24 hours as of 241 PM. These likely capture the peak winds for most locations from this event. #wawxhttps://t.co/NnZ4OBabbM

— NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) November 15, 2021