A series of weather fronts have been flowing directly at the Pacific Northwest for about a week and this is expected to continue. The next series of fronts is expected to bring increasingly heavy rains which in turn are expected to lead to at least minor flooding.
The National Weather Service sent out a Areal Flood Watch alert this morning. The forecast calls for heavy rains in the next few days, especially in the mountains. This will be combined with the snow level rising to between 5500 and 8000 feet over the same time period.
Nearly a quarter-inch of rainfall is expected today locally and close to a half-inch an inch tomorrow according the latest Ferndale weather forecast.
The expected runoff is forecast to bring the Nooksack River level at Ferndale to 17 feet (when low lying areas near the river can expect to begin seeing some flooding) by Tuesday evening and cresting at just over 19 feet (official flood stage) Wednesday evening.
At these levels, drivers can expect water over roads and the typical flood-related road closures (e.g. Marine Drive, Slater Road).
You can keep up-to-date on the latest river forecast on Discover Ferndale’s Nooksack River Level page.