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Atmospheric River to Bring Flooding and Heavy Snow to Western US
16 Oct
Summary
- Atmospheric river could bring heavy rain and high winds to Pacific coast
- Potential for flooding in Washington and Oregon west of Cascades
- Moderate risk of heavy snow over the Cascades
On October 16, 2025, the National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center (CPC) warned that an atmospheric river could bring increased chances of stormy weather to parts of the western United States in late October. The CPC cautioned that heavy rainfall would have the potential to produce flooding west of the Cascades in Washington and Oregon, though confidence in the extent and severity of any flooding remains low at this time.
The CPC stated that weather conditions over the northeast Pacific are likely to support the formation of an atmospheric river, bringing bouts of heavy rain and high winds along the Pacific coast and heavy snow at higher elevations across parts of the northwestern U.S. beginning late next week. The agency added that the highest confidence for heavy precipitation was across parts of western Washington and Oregon.
According to the CPC's analysis, there is a moderate risk of high winds along coastal sections of Washington and Oregon, as well as a moderate risk for heavy snow over the Cascades during this period.
