Strong atmospheric river triggers major flooding across the Pacific Northwest
A strong atmospheric river brought significant flooding to parts of the Pacific Northwest through December 9, 2025, with rainfall rates in the Cascades exceeding 13 mm (0.5 inch) per hour and the Snoqualmie River cresting at 5.4 m (17.8 feet), its highest level in more than 10 years.
A strong AR has brought significant flooding to parts of the Pacific Northwest through December 9. Rainfall rates in the Cascades went over 13 mm (0.5 inch) per hour.
Multiple areas have been flooded due to the AR’s impact. The National Weather Service (NWS) has forecast record river flooding along the Skagit and Snohomish rivers through December 10.
The Snoqualmie River crested at 5.4 m (17.8 feet) on December 9; this was its highest level in over 10 years. The last time the river was this high was on December 9, 2015, when it reached 18.5 m (60.7 feet) in height.
Significant flooding is ongoing across the Cascade foothills and Puget Sound and is expected to continue through December 11. The heavy precipitation is likely to bring a threat of landslides across the region.
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Featured image credit: LSM (stillshot)
Rishav Kothari is Editor-in-Chief of The Watchers, where he runs the newsroom and covers earthquakes, volcanoes, severe weather and space weather.
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