Over the weekend many of the Washington residents and neighboring states witnessed major rainfall, powerful winds, and power loss. As Halloween celebrations gear up, another atmospheric river is set to arrive.

A powerful atmospheric river brought rain, wind, and snow across western Washington, leaving thousands without power, claiming one life, and dumping snow in the Cascades. The precipitation was immediately followed by deadly winds on Saturday, with the strongest recorded at 77 MPH.

Last Friday measured over an inch of rainfall in Seattle, K5 reports, “marking the first time the city had seen an inch or more in a single day since Dec. 5, 2023.” 

Tacoma and Enumclaw reported wind speeds reaching 50-60 mph, causing trees to fall on the roads, blocking cars and other vehicles.

In public parks, families had their kids trick-or-treating. What surprised many Washingtonians was the three consecutive days of intense weather that caused one casualty at a Halloween event in McKenna Park in Pierce County. 

Many families were celebrating Halloween when the weather decided to take fate into its own hands. A tree knocked down by winds struck and killed a 31-year-old man in Graham, injuring six others. 

Another atmospheric river is set to arrive the night of Halloween, but KRIO 7 meteorologist Morgan Palmer said, “This will not be a repeat of last weekend’s destructive wind event, and now that trees have already been tested by stronger winds this fall, the scope of power outages is expected to be much more limited.”

**Mavrie has been serving as editor for the ThunderWord since 2024. She is also the founding president of Highline’s Non-fiction Writers Circle.**