A powerful atmospheric river is bearing down on the Pacific Northwest with back-to-back storms, bringing rain, gusty winds and unseasonably warm temperatures until Thursday morning.

Fueling the storm system’s intensity is “a monster moisture plume,” atmospheric scientist Cliff Mass of the University of Washington wrote on his weather blog.

“Very concerning,” he added.

The atmospheric river’s energy barreled across the Cascade Range and into Eastern Washington and the Idaho Panhandle on Monday evening. The National Weather Service Spokane advised residents to brace for gusty winds through the night and into early Tuesday morning. Countless outdoor Christmas decorations were tossed about or blown into neighbors’ yards.

Atmospheric rivers – long plumes of water vapor in the sky – are fair

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