At least one person was reported dead and nine others remained missing after a tank containing white liquor imploded at a paper mill in Longview, Washington, at approximately 07:15 LT on May 26, injuring multiple workers and emergency responders.
At least 2 people were killed by an avalanche near Long Pass in Washington’s Cascade Mountains on January 9, 2026, while two others were safely rescued.
An atmospheric river that impacted Alaska on January 9, 2026, is forecast to propagate down the coast and merge with a second plume, delivering a 48–72-hour period of AR conditions over western Washington from January 10 to 12. Forecast guidance indicates 100–150 mm (4–6 inches) of rain over the Olympic Peninsula, 50–100 mm (2–4 inches) over the northern Washington Cascades, and 25–50 mm (1–2 inches) over the Cascade foothills, with freezing levels rising above 1 830 m (6 000 feet).
Two frontal systems are forecast to bring widespread precipitation and heavy mountain snow to the Pacific Northwest between Tuesday and Thursday, January 6 and 8, 2026. The first, associated with a weakening atmospheric river, will bring rainfall to the region on Tuesday, followed by a second, stronger system on Wednesday and Thursday, January 7–8. Snowfall totals of 30–120 cm (12–48 inches) are expected across the Cascades and Olympic Mountains, with locally higher amounts above 1 500 m (5 000 feet).
A powerful windstorm with gusts reaching 232 km/h (144 mph) battered parts of the Pacific Northwest and Rockies this week, leaving one dead, two injured, and hundreds of thousands without power by December 18, 2025. The deep low-pressure system continues moving east toward the northern Plains and Midwest, sustaining severe winds and wildfire risks.
A powerful winter storm hit the Pacific Northwest and parts of the inland Northwest on December 17, 2025, causing widespread power outages across Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. At least 596 830 electricity customers were left without power, an impact estimated to affect approximately 1.4–1.6 million people across the region, as strong winds damaged power infrastructure and disrupted services.
Historic flooding in December 2025 placed Washington state in the middle of a statewide crisis, with impacts ongoing and damage assessments still underway as of December 17. Prolonged heavy rainfall has inundated communities, damaged levees and transportation infrastructure, and forced large-scale evacuations across multiple counties. At least one person died after driving into deep floodwaters.
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.
Multiple atmospheric rivers brought widespread flooding to Snohomish County, Washington, this week, forcing water rescues and road closures as the Snohomish River approached its fourth-highest crest on record
A major atmospheric river is producing very heavy precipitation across western Washington today into early December 11, 2025, triggering widespread and potentially historic riverine flooding, according to the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes (CW3E). Forecasts indicate 130–200 mm (5–8 inches) of rain over the central and northern Washington Cascades and 75–130 mm (3–5 inches) over the Olympic Peninsula through 04:00 PST (12:00 UTC) on December 12. CW3E modeling shows 15 river gauges expected to exceed major flood stage and four to surpass record levels within 48 hours.
