Heavy rain, strong winds forecast as weekend storm nears Whatcom County

Bellingham and the rest of lowland Whatcom County could see heavy rain and possibly damaging winds from a storm on its way from the central Pacific.

Meteorologists at the National Weather Service in Seattle have been watching the storm for a week, Anna Lindeman said online.

"An atmospheric river will push into western Washington and British Columbia mid-day Friday, bringing significant rainfall to the region. While forecast models continue to highlight the bulk of the moisture initially focused northward over British Columbia, moderate to heavy rainfall is on track for the northern coast, Olympics, and North Cascades on Friday. Rainfall over much of the interior lowlands will be rain-shadowed initially but will continue to fill in across the region throughout the weekend as the storm system slowly pivots to the south and exits the region by late Sunday," Lindeman said,.

Some 2 to 4 inches of rain is forecast for the Whatcom County lowlands, with up to 6 inches of rain in the mountains, as an atmospheric river drenches the region through Monday.

Average October rainfall for Bellingham is 3.85 inches, and rivers and streams will rise sharply, according to the Northwest River Forecast Center.

Flooding isn't expected on the Nooksack River. Its crest will be about 4 feet below flood stage Sunday night in Nugents Corner and 6 feet below flood stage early Monday in Ferndale.

Winds could be fierce, however, according to a wind advisory issued for 2 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Saturday.

"Gusty winds will also accompany this storm system," Lindeman said.

Southeast winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph are expected.

"Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.Use extra caution when driving, especially if operating a high-profile vehicles. Secure outdoor objects," the weather advisory said.