According to AccuWeather meteorologists, a quick-hitting storm hitting the Pacific Northwest will dish out disruptive rain and snow for Thanksgiving holiday travelers, but will have the side benefit of sweeping away the stagnant air pollution that has persisted for days.
The storm is poised to end a record-breaking dry streak in Seattle during a month that is historically the city’s wettest with an average of 6.31 inches. Sunday tied the record for the longest November dry stretch in the Emerald City for over twenty years. The last was 13 days back in 2000. Monday tipped 2022 into the lead with 14 consecutive days with no measurable rainfall spanning November 8-21.
The rainless streak came to an end on Tuesday morning. From 6 to 10 a.m. local time, 0.12 of an inch of rain fell at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and more was on the way.
A persistent area of high pressure has led to unusually dry conditions by steering storms away from the region. The result of the weeks of stagnant weather has been a buildup of pollutants near the surface, contributing to widespread poor air quality across the Pacific Northwest.
“On Wednesday, the high kept winds very low and led to widespread air stagnation across the area. However, a storm system moving into the region Tuesday is bringing some changes,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Heather Zehr said.
Zehr pointed out that winds were increasing along the Northwest coast as the storm tracked into the region on Tuesday. Along coastal regions, the uptick in winds is helping to whisk away the pollutants and reduce the risk to those with respiratory illnesses who venture outdoors.
Although it will be safer to breathe outside as the air quality improves, AccuWeather meteorologists say wet weather moving in with the storm will greatly limit the opportunity for people to enjoy the outdoors and could also cause further headaches for Thanksgiving travelers.
“In addition to the storm vastly improving the air quality over the region, there will also be some disruptions for holiday travelers,” Zehr said. “Rain will be locally heavy, reducing visibility on roadways.”
The storm will be in and out of the area in a quick manner, limiting the worst impacts to a six- to 12-hour period. In the wake of the storm, conditions will trend drier and milder as another area of high pressure builds into the region, leading to quiet weather for Wednesday travelers and Turkey Day itself.
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