Chilling Halloween slated for the Northwest this year
Bomb cyclones and atmospheric rivers have served up more tricks than treats across western Washington this week, ahead of Halloween 2021. The weekend's wet and windy weather may still haunt the region, but don't cancel Halloween yet. The forecast is clear...for now.
An atmospheric river is expected to arrive on Wednesday, October 27 and work its wet magic over the next couple of days.
But for now, we can expect to be treated to dry weather just in time for Halloween festivities. Drier, even sunny conditions are expected on Saturday and Sunday as the atmospheric river moves on. The National Weather Service in Seattle notes there is a slight chance of showers Sunday night.
This All Hallows' Eve promises to be chilling, though. High temps will stay below 60 for the rest of the week, with a low around 41 degrees on Halloween.
So make like a mummy and bundle up.
Atmospheric river
An atmospheric river is a long, narrow section of moist air from the Pacific Ocean in the atmosphere. NWS meteorologist Maddie Kristell says it’s like a “river in the sky.” These systems tend to bring in more rain than wind, she says, so Western Washington will be haunted by heavy rain until Friday.
The “river in the sky” is also expected to cause some minor flooding, specifically on the Skokomish River in Mason County.
These ghoulish weather patterns are par for the course during spooky season – around Halloween and Thanksgiving.
But you’ll have to break out your very best crystal ball to know whether another especially disruptive system is in the region’s future. Low-pressure systems of this magnitude are hard to predict.
Last weekend's bomb cyclones
The atmospheric river comes on the shockwaves of a bomb cyclone — a low-pressure system that strengthens quickly, then releases lots of energy, hence the ominous moniker.
Two bomb cyclones came through the Northwest between October 21-26, including one that was the lowest-pressure system on record. That second, more severe cyclone was about 300-400 miles off the coast of Washington.
Dana Felton from the National Weather Service in Seattle says the damage would have been worse if it was closer.
The destructive system left two people dead in Preston, east of Seattle, after a tree fell on their car. Strong winds also left thousands without power as crews hurried to repair fallen power lines.
More than a dozen poles came down along East Marginal Way on Sunday, closing the thoroughfare along with the South Park Bridge as the work week kicked off. Several poles were slated to be replaced prior to the storm.
No one was hurt, but crews are still cleaning up the downed lines. Their work was delayed as windy conditions continued into Tuesday.
