Puget Sound rivers are receding after heavy rainfall last week, but several areas remain under a flood warning through Monday even as the region enjoys a brief dry period.
In King and Snohomish counties, the National Weather Service issued a flood warning for the White River near Auburn, Snoqualmie River near Carnation and Snohomish River at Snohomish and near Monroe. All were slowly receding Sunday afternoon, weather service meteorologist Johnny Berg said.
The Nooksack River in Whatcom County, Skagit River in Skagit County and Skokomish River in Mason County also were under flood warnings.
The Snoqualmie River caused moderate, widespread flooding in the Snoqualmie Valley, with additional minor flooding forecast through Monday. The White River will likely take longer to recede, but only minor flooding is forecast, Berg said.
Farther north, the U.S.-Canada border crossing at Sumas is inaccessible because of flooding and Highway 9 is closed south of Sumas, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation. Drivers should use alternate border crossings.
In Bellingham, the American Red Cross has opened a flood evacuation shelter at Cordata Presbyterian Church, 400 Meadowbrook Court, for those affected by flooding along the Nooksack River.
The Seattle District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers delivered 50,000 sandbags and other supplies to assist in fighting floods in Snohomish, Skagit and Whatcom counties. Crews were working in Lyman, Skagit County, to extend a rock trench to reinforce a bank of the Skagit River, as well as in Snohomish County at the Ebey Slough Levee, where signs of slope failure raised concerns of a potential breach. That work was expected to continue into Monday.
After a soaked week capping off a gloomy month, the area is no longer under threat of heavy precipitation, but there’s still a chance of rain Monday. Monday afternoon should offer a brief reprieve until Tuesday morning, when there’s a slight chance of light snow, Berg said.
Temperatures will hover around freezing. Black ice may be present in some areas, especially bridges and overpasses, through Monday morning, according to the National Weather Service.
Any traces of snow should turn to rain by Tuesday night, when the temperature will start climbing to the 50s through the end of the week.
“January was wet,” Berg said. “Hopefully February is a nice, calm month.”
