An unidentified man wades through flood water from the Cowlitz River with his motorcycle across a stretch of Peters Road in Randle, Wash., on Sunday, March 9, 2014. Heavy rain and warm temperatures in the Cascade Mountains over the past week has caused minor flooding along the Cowlitz River and its tributaries. The National Weather Service has projected the Cowlitz River to crest at 18.72 feet on Monday afternoon. That level is projected to cause minor flooding in the area.
Heavy rains on Saturday triggered a landslide that forced the overnight closure of a more than 40-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 12 over White Pass.
Officials closed the highway at its intersection with state Route 123, east of Packwood — itself not much of a detour as Cayuse and Chinook passes close annually for the winter. Road crews cleaned up the debris Sunday morning, allowing traffic to flow freely through the area again.
No injuries were reported as a result of the landslide.
Those heavy rains combined with warm temperatures and a 7,000-foot snow level to cause the Cowlitz River at Randle to rise sharply Saturday and Sunday. Initially, forecasters called for the river to cross the moderate flood threshold of 20 feet, which would have inundated U.S. Highway 12.
But the river crested at 18.72 feet Sunday evening, minimizing the flooding risk in the area. As of 2 p.m. Monday, the Cowlitz gauge measured the river depth at 16.07 feet and falling.
Meteorologists have good news in store for those wishing for prolonged sunshine, as the National Weather Service is predicting mostly sunny conditions with highs near 60 for today through Thursday. The rainless stretch should also help ease landslide concerns as soils will get a proper chance to drain.
