Pacific Northwest

Prolonged stormy pattern to slam Pacific Northwest

Cars and trucks on a snowy Washington state highway.

A series of storm systems will track into the Pacific Northwest starting later Thursday and extending through all of next week.

These storms will be intense at times, with ample amounts of moisture to work with due to a constant flow of moisture from the tropical Pacific called the Pineapple Express. The storms will hit the same general areas from eastern and northern California to western portions of Oregon and Washington, as well as southwestern British Columbia, Canada.

Related: Colorado...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/prolonged-stormy-pattern-to-slam-pacific-northwest

Grain shippers seek fluid network in and out of Pacific Northwest

A photograph of a man looking at a truckload of grain.

As the U.S. harvest season kicks into high gear over the next month, grain shippers will be watching whether freight railroads’ train speeds will be able to keep up with a potentially sudden ramp-up in demand, according to shippers at the recent annual National Grain Car Council meeting hosted by the Surface Transportation Board.

Low grain demand over the summer has masked velocity issues, grain shippers said. However, the rail network could potentially find itself stressed over the next 30 to...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/grain-shippers-seek-fluid-network-in-and-out-of-pacific-northwest

Powerful weekend winter storms bound for Northwest, South

Tractor-trailers heading down a snowy highway.

NEW #VIDEO! A major winter storm is impacting Portland, OR. In the west hills of PDX numerous vehicles are stuck, including multiple 18-wheelers on interstate 26. Heavy snow paired with strong blowing wind is making for blizzard like conditions at times. #orwx #snow pic.twitter.com/KUhaQQnR3m

— Benjamin Jurkovich (@BenjaminJurkovi) February 12, 2021

A powerful winter storm will make roads treacherous for truckers this weekend. It starts in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) on Friday, ending up in...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/powerful-weekend-winter-storms-bound-for-northwest-south

Drivers face soaking rains, high winds in Northwest (with forecast video)

Two tractor-trailers, side-by-side, heading down a highway on a rainy day.

Steady rainfall is not a new thing in the Pacific Northwest. But the next round, which begins Tuesday, could cause flooding.

Setup

A slow-moving cold front is approaching the region from the Pacific Ocean. There’s enough moisture and instability to produce persistent rainfall for a few days. Rain may be heavy at times and thunderstorms could pop up in some places along the Interstate 5 corridor from Seattle to Portland, Oregon.

There’s potential for 3 to 6 inches of total rainfall over the...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/drivers-face-soaking-rains-high-winds-in-northwest-with-forecast-video

Transportation photo gallery: The Pacific Northwest wildfires

A cargo jumbo jet facing the camera silhouetted in night sky with smoke from fires creating red background.

The Pacific Northwest is shrouded in smoke from dozens of wildfires burning in Oregon, Washington and California. It’s a huge economic, ecological, safety and health disaster for millions of residents. Every aspect of life is impacted, including the freight transportation sector.

Delta and Hawaiian airlines’ planes at the Portland airport passenger terminal. (Photo: Port of Portland/Brian Burk)

On Monday, Alaska Airlines suspended operations for 24 hours between Monday and Tuesday afternoons...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/transportation-photo-gallery-the-pacific-northwest-wildfires

BNSF, Union Pacific help prevent spread of wildfires

A photograph of a BNSF train.

Although BNSF’s (NYSE: BRK) rail operations haven’t encountered major disruptions from the wildfires in the Pacific Northwest, the railroad is doing its part to help fight fires.

“Thankfully the impacts to our network in California thus far have been minimal. We do continue to monitor the fires throughout the Pacific Northwest, including in Washington state and Oregon,” BNSF spokesperson Amy Casas said.

In Washington, BNSF has deployed its fire trains, based in Wishram and Pasco, to help support...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/bnsf-union-pacific-help-prevent-spread-of-wildfires

Maritime History Notes: When US intercoastal lumber trade floated fleets

Maritime History Notes

For over 100 years, U.S.-flag ships carried lumber from the West Coast to the East and Gulf coasts. About 40 ships were regularly employed in this trade, making about 200 voyages annually. Additionally, more than 200 smaller ships — steam schooners affectionately called the Scandinavian Navy — transported lumber from the Pacific Northwest to San Francisco and Southern California. 

An interesting feature of this trade was that many of the ships were owned by lumber companies that sought to...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/maritime-history-notes-when-us-intercoastal-lumber-trade-floated-fleets

Weekend snow, rain coming back to Pacific Northwest freight markets (with forecast video)

Tractor-trailers, cars on snowy Oregon road.

Weather will be rather benign across the United States as May begins, with no high-impact systems affecting freight flows this weekend.

SONAR Critical Events and radar: Friday, May 1, 10 a.m. EDT

Heavy rainfall will continue across parts of New England today, but any flooding will be localized. The National Weather Service (NWS) has canceled most flood watches in the region since the overall risk of flooding is decreasing.

Also, a few severe thunderstorms could pop up today from northern Texas and...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/weekend-snow-rain-coming-back-to-pacific-northwest-freight-markets-with-forecast-video

Fatigue, sleep deprivation major factors in Northwest accidents

Containment boom surrounds the partially submerged Kirby tug Nathan E Stewart, which ran aground in British Columbia on Oct. 13. Canadian Coast Guard photo.

Fatigue and sleep deprivation figure in about half of maritime accidents in the Pacific Northwest and manage to defeat even the most modern wheelhouse technology, experts said at the Pacific Marine Expo in Seattle.

“There is only one solution to sleep deprivation. It’s eight hours of sleep in 24 hours,” said Jerry Dzugan, director of the Alaska Marine Safety Association.

U.S. and Canadian investigators found lack of sleep was a central factor in the October 2016 grounding of the Kirby Offshore...

https://www.workboat.com/news/coastal-inland-waterways/fatigue-sleep-deprivation-major-factors-in-northwest-accidents/

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