Break out the umbrella.
A wet, warm Pacific storm is taking aim at Western Washington, with the bulk of precipitation coming Saturday and Sunday.
The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for the North Olympic Peninsula lowlands and the entire Puget Sound basin.
Forecasters say it could be the wettest storm Western Washington has seen in two years.
But Johnny Burg, meteorologist with the Weather Service in Seattle, said the rainmaker is expected to hit the south side of the Olympic Mountains and spare the North Olympic Peninsula from the worst of the rain.
“Most of the flow is southerly,” Burg said.
Some area lowlands, including the Pacific coast, will see up to 2 inches of rain Saturday night into Sunday morning, Burg said.
“Rain will be heavy at times after midnight,” he said.
“For Port Angeles and Port Townsend, it’s looking like they’re going to get maybe an inch.”
Mason County is under a flood warning.
The Weather Service said the Skokomish River “seems certain” to flood.
None of the rivers on the North Olympic Peninsula was listed for a moderate flood threat as of Thursday.
“Weather models differ in the details, but it is likely that heavy rain will begin Saturday night, continue Sunday and end Monday,” a Weather Service statement read.
“The direction and exact location of the heaviest rain is uncertain. However, heavy rain is likely and in amounts likely to cause flooding on some rivers.”
The Weather Service said small streams could overflow their banks if rain is heavy enough, and urban flooding is possible where drainage is poor.
A winter weather advisory is in effect for the Olympic Mountains, and a storm warning is up for the Cascades.
Burg said the snow level in the Olympics is about 3,000 feet and will rise as the system moves in.
“It’s mostly a rain event,” Burg said.
“We’re not looking at any high winds. Most of the concern is rain.”
Penelope Linterman, Clallam County Emergency Management program coordinator, issued a preliminary advisory Thursday.
It read: “This storm system is the largest we’ve seen for at least two years and will bring significant precipitation and likely flooding on some area rivers.”
Linterman later said the direction of the storm is unstable and could change.
“It depends on which way it shifts as to whether or not we will be impacted here,” she said.
Forks, one of the rainiest areas in the nation, is on the verge of hitting 10 feet of precipitation this year. Forks had 119.66 inches of precipitation this year as of Thursday.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
