Flooding possible as an atmospheric river of rain hits Washington again

Seattle - Buckle up... here we go again! An atmospheric river of rain is set to hit Western Washington Thursday afternoon through Friday morning bringing flooding concerns to area rivers.

Rain will pick up this afternoon and evening around the Puget Sound area. 1-3" of rain is expected in the central and south sound by Friday evening. We could see 3-7" in the mountains! Here's a look at the projected rain totals by Friday evening.

The evening commute tonight will likely be a mess everywhere, with ponding on the roadways. The north sound will also see heavy rain, but it shouldn’t be as bad as what we will see in King, Pierce, and Thurston counties.

Heavy rain combined with snow melt will push local rivers well above flood stage Friday. DON'T DRIVE THROUGH FLOOD WATERS! It doesn't take much to sweep your car away or get stuck. Some area rivers will be flirting with "major" flood stage by Friday afternoon.

Tomorrow morning will remain an issue on Puget Sound area roads with ponding and urban flooding. You will want to leave early to get to work on time. The heavy rain will end by the early morning hours, transitioning to lighter showers by the commute, however there should still be sloppy conditions out there. Careful out there, my friends! We are looking dry by Saturday.

Wet conditions continue Sunday through Tuesday, with cooler and drier weather set for the middle of next week.