Skagit and Snohomish rivers rise to record-breaking levels, Washington, U.S.
The Skagit and Snohomish rivers rose to record levels on Friday, December 12, 2025, prompting evacuations and a boil-water notice in flood-affected areas.
The Snohomish River broke its record for the highest crest level, reaching 10.41 m (34.15 feet) on Friday. This broke the previous record of 10.35 m (33.97 feet) set in November 1990.
Hundreds of animals have been evacuated to emergency stables across Snohomish County as flooding threatens barns and farms along the river, KOMO TV reported on Thursday.
The Snohomish County Health Department has issued a boil water notice asking residents who use a well or private water system not to drink the water or boil it.
“If you have a well or are on a water system that was impacted by flooding this week, make sure to use bottled, treated or boiled water to avoid illness. If boiling water, make sure to bring it to a rolling boil for a full minute before cooling and using it for drinking, brushing teeth, or rinsing dishes or food.”
The flooding had already prompted road closures and multiple water rescues in Snohomish County this month.
The Skagit River reached a record high of 11.47 m (37.62 feet) near Mt. Vernon on Friday; this was the highest crest level for the river on record. The previous record was 11.4 m (37.37 feet) set in November 1995.
The Skagit County reportedly evacuated about 75 000 people after residents along the river were told to prepare to leave at a moment’s notice on Wednesday, December 10.
More than 100 people, around half of them children, are sheltering at a Red Cross shelter in Mount Vernon, reported King 5.
In 2021, the Skagit River set a record crest at 11.8 m (38.93 feet) in Concrete and 10.09 m (33.11 feet) at Mount Vernon. The floodwaters damaged 75% of the homes in the town of Sumas.
The rising river levels and flooding are the result of a major atmospheric river that has triggered historic riverine floods across the Pacific Northwest this month.
A subseason outlook issued by CW3E on December 9 shows strong agreement on above-normal atmospheric river activity across the U.S. West Coast during the second half of December 2025. The most pronounced signals are centered over northern and central California, with continued wet conditions also likely across the Pacific Northwest.
Between December 15 and 28, models from NCEP, ECCC, and ECMWF consistently indicate an increased frequency of atmospheric rivers and wetter-than-average conditions from Washington to central California, while southern California is projected to trend drier.
Features image credit: City of Everett
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
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