New Pineapple Express to aim heavy rain at PNW, plus, warmth in East to be replaced by cold air and snowstorm potential

0:00From AccuWeather.com, this is AccuWeather Daily, a brief host read article, its weather news, and a nutshell. This episode is brought to you by Factor. Take the stress and prep work out of eating healthy with factors fully prepared meals that are designed by dietitians and crafted by chefs. Factor uses lean proteins, colorful veggies, whole food ingredients, and healthy fats. So these meals will not only taste delicious, you'll feel great about eating them. And the variety is incredible. With 100 rotating weekly meals, it will be like you're traveling around the world from the comfort of your kitchen. Just this week, I dove into Factor's queso poblano chicken, the pesto shrimp cabatope, and the pepper fondue shredded chicken, and I loved every delicious bite. I can't wait for what's next! No refined sugars or seed oil, no artificial sweeteners, and each meal is ready in about two minutes. Try Factor and see for yourself, head to Factor Meals.com slash AccuWeather50 off, and use

1:01code AccuWeather50 off to get 50% off and free breakfast for a year. Eat like a pro this month with Factor, new subscribers only varies by plan. One free breakfast item per box for one year while subscription is active. I'll take a look at the weather around the country and what may be in store for your weekend plans this weekend, starting out west a long plume of moisture stretching from near Hawaii, a version of an atmospheric river known as the Pineapple Express, will target parts of Washington and British Columbia, beginning this weekend and lasting into early next week. Heavy rain induced flooding and an increased avalanche risk could pose some risks across the region. Days of December's torrential rain and flooding remain fresh for a lot of folks there in western Washington, while the atmosphere has provided a bit of a respite from those conditions in recent days, the weather pattern is lining up once again to deliver another round of heavy

2:03rain. Now, the heaviest rain is expected on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, where between four to eight inches may fall with higher amounts in some locations. Heavy rain will also impact northwestern Washington and the British Columbia mainland, especially along the west facing slopes of the Olympic and Cascade ranges and the coast mountains. The plume of heavy rain will begin in central British Columbia Friday and then shift southward through the weekend. In coastal areas heavy rain could cause rapid rises on small streams and short rivers leading to flooding in urban areas, including the Interstate 5 Corridor near Seattle and Bellingham, Washington and the Vancouver Metro area, flash flooding of streets and highways is possible. Snow levels will generally remain above Washington's mountain passes during this particular event, as rain falls at mid-level elevations and adds weight to existing snow, though the avalanche

3:04risk will increase. At lower elevations, heavy rainfall will increase the risk of mudslides and other debris flows. Areas farther south, especially in Oregon, may receive little or no rain from this pattern, some of the worst conditions may occur farther north where there is deep snow on the ground. Over the past five weeks or so, Juno Alaska has been buried under 92 inches of snow. That total is about four times the historical average of 23 inches from the 1st of December through January 7th. The same weather pattern bringing heavy rain to British Columbia and northwestern Washington will also affect south-eastern Alaska. Accuethers Brandon Buckingham said that the storm will bring a combination of heavy rain, strong winds and snow, with impacts varying significantly across the south-eastern Alaska panhandle. Moderate to heavy rainfall is likely across much of the panhandle on Friday, with one to

4:06three inches possible through tonight. Flooding concerns will increase once snow changes to rain. Additional storms are expected next week, bringing more rain to lower elevations. Rain and above freezing temperatures will melt more snow, increasing the risk of flooding in Juno and other parts of south-eastern Alaska. Right shifting focus to the eastern part of the U.S. colder air will surge back in from the plains into the Midwest and the Northeast, raising a key question. Will it come with a major snowstorm or two? Well, through the end of the week, temperatures in much of the east will still be 10 to 20 degrees above average, and some locations in the south could challenge daily record highs on Friday. Temperatures surged to record levels across parts of the plains on Monday, as the warm air became established. On Tuesday, temperatures climbed well into the 70s and 80s from Texas across the southern plains and the Lower Mississippi Valley.

5:07On Thursday, record-stating back decades were again challenged from Texas to the Carolinas. While temperatures in the Ohio Valley and the Northeast may not climb as high as those in the southern states this week, they will still rise well above average. High temperatures are forecast to be in the 50s in New York City and Philadelphia and the 60s in D.C. Friday. Records will also be challenged across the southeast as far north as the Ohio Valley. AccuWeathers Paul Pastelock said that some colder air will sweep in behind the storm, finishing up in the northeast this weekend. In many cases, the colder air arriving around mid-January across the central and eastern states will not be as harsh as the cold experienced in parts of December. As Pastelock explained, the reason for that is that right now the air in central and northern Canada is not as cold as it was back in December and some Pacific air will continue to be drawn eastward.

6:08By the time the air reaches the central and eastern U.S., it will not be unusually cold. The upcoming surge of cold air may shock some residents of the southern U.S. right on the heels of record-challenging warmth. For example, Atlanta, where temperatures reached the upper 60s and lower 70s for many days this week and forecast to be in the 70s again on Saturday, highs on Sunday will be at least 20 degrees lower, down towards 50. The temperature drop may be less dramatic in the upper Midwest and New England where readings did not rise as much this week. Pastelock said that the upcoming pattern looks like quick waves of cold in the Midwest and the northeast and the magnitude of the cold may be very much dependent on whether we have a storm around the middle of the month with another to follow. Larger storms tend to pull cold air in their wake. Now if the storm tracks up the coast, heavy snow could fall across the Appalachians and the northern and western suburbs of major I-95 corridor cities in the northeast.

7:14If the storm tracks farther east, little to no snow would fall, though some snow could brush parts of the mid-Atlantic coast. A second storm for next weekend could take a track more favorable for snow in the I-95 northeast corridor. That's all for now. You can find more regional forecasts and science-based articles at AccuWeather.com and for your local forecast at your fingertips, download the AccuWeather app. Enjoy the rest of your day, be safe, I'll be back tomorrow with more from AccuWeather.