An atmospheric river of tropical moisture is flowing toward Southwest Washington and Oregon today, bringing the biggest storms since last winter.
The National Weather Service is advising the heavy rain and gusty winds should start later today on the Oregon Coast before moving toward the metro area.
Wind gusts of up to 70 mph are possible on the coast, and 30 to 40 mph in the metro area. Because leaves are still on many trees, it could lead to more than the usual numbers of downed trees and power outages.
Up to two inches of rain are expected here by Thursday afternoon, which could cause localized flooding near clogged storm drains, with even more for the mountains.
The rain should subside for a while on Thursday, but another storm may slug the area over the weekend.
