April to start out cool and stormy across the northwestern US

By Faith Eherts, AccuWeather meteorologist

Once again, a string of pleasant weather will come to a soaking end across the Northwest to start April.

"Much like this past week, the Northwest will again be active with multiple storm systems making their way onshore this week," AccuWeather Meteorologist Isaac Longley said.

While temperatures were not as historically high as earlier in the month, thermometers reached into the 60s at the end of the week as dry weather persisted.

Residents will be glad to know that even as wet weather returns, only a slight temperature drop is in the forecast.

Following an unusually dry March, the region will receive a much-needed period of damp weather, as a large swatch of Washington and Oregon are experiencing moderate drought conditions.

"The first system will begin to move onshore Sunday night into Monday morning, and that will bring rain to much of the Northwest with the heaviest falling along the coastline," Longley said.

Due to the slow movement of the storm, Northern California and Oregon will be impacted into Monday before showers finally overspread the central Rockies later Monday into Tuesday.

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Luckily for those traveling through the region early this week, generally showery weather is expected as opposed to heavy downpours. Most snow will be limited to the higher terrain, above the main passes.

While this could lead to airline delays and slowed traffic due to frequently foggy conditions, it also lowers the threat for flash flooding.

However, Longley pointed out that some coastal areas such as Portland, Oregon, could receive as much as an inch of rain by midweek.

Anyone hoping to spend time outdoors during the first half of the week will have little opportunity to do so without rain gear.

The exception will be across most of Washington, including Seattle and Spokane, where dry and mild weather is expected to hold through Tuesday. Showers will once again make umbrellas a necessity at midweek.

The storm returning the showers to Washington at midweek will be followed by yet another storm pushing more rain into the Pacific Northwest on Thursday.

The potential also exists for a stronger storm to slam into the West Coast at the end of the week.

AccuWeather meteorologists will continue to monitor this threat.

For the latest forecast in your area, download the free AccuWeather app.