Unrelenting storms will escalate the risk of flash flooding, mudslides and avalanches as ski resorts continue to be bombarded with heavy snow.

Unrelenting storms will pound the northwestern United States well into 2020 and escalate the risk of flash flooding, mudslides and avalanches as ski resorts continue to be bombarded with heavy snow.

“Expect rounds of strong winds from the storms with the potential for power outages,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brian Thompson said.

“Snow levels will vary with each storm,” Thompson said. “At times rain may reach to pass levels, and at other times, snow may dip to just above sea level through next week.”

Satellite imagery shows clouds and moisture arriving in the Northwest on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020.

The main thrust of the storms through this weekend will focus on British Columbia and western Washington. A general 3-6 inches (80-150 millimeters) of rain will fall, but an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 12 inches (300 millimeters) is likely on the west-facing slopes of the Olympics, Cascades and Coast Mountains.

The cumulative effect of each storm will make the hillsides unstable. With each round of drenching rain, the risk of mudslides and other debris flows will increase over the lower elevations.

Episodes of heavy rain in low and intermediate elevations will cause streams and rivers to run high with the risk of flooding.

Meanwhile, above the passes over the high country, a heavy load of snow, on the order of 3-6 feet (1-2 meters) with local amounts to 9 feet (3 meters) will pile up over the next week. The snow load from each storm and periodic gusty winds can make the snowpack unstable with an increasing risk of avalanches.

Even at intermediate elevations, heavy snow with some storms and a wintry mix and rain with others can also heighten the avalanche risk.

Intermittent rain and snow will progress farther inland over eastern Washington and Oregon, including areas often sheltered by precipitation due to the proximity of the Cascades. Periodic, locally heavy snow will fall over the Blue Mountains and the various ranges that make up the northern Rockies into next week.

The first weather system of the barrage affected the region Tuesday into Wednesday with gusty winds, rain and and snow across the Cascades and the rest of the Intermountain West.

Winds were strong enough with the storm to force the closure of the Hood Canal Bridge in northwestern Washington.

This storm also brought some snow to the Salt Lake City area on New Year’s Day.

A second storm will waste no time rolling in from the Pacific later Thursday to Thursday night. This storm is likely to bring heavy precipitation and difficult travel over the passes in the Washington Cascades. Snow levels will start off low, near 2,000 feet, before rising Thursday night.

The heavy precipitation will be accompanied by gusty winds late this week. Gusts averaging 25-50 mph are expected to buffet the Washington coast with more powerful gusts to near 60 mph (97 km/h) likely in British Columbia.

Another storm during Friday night and Saturday is likely to be the most potent of the bunch in terms of wind.

The unrelenting onslaught of storms will not end after this week, but the origin and nature of storms may evolve as January progresses, according to AccuWeather meteorologists.

“It is possible that a shift in the storm track develops later next week where storms move from north to south across British Columbia and the northwestern U.S. instead of straight in from the west off the Pacific Ocean,” Thompson said.

“As this occurs, enough cold air may sink southward to allow snow to fall at very low elevations along the coast,” he added.

It is possible that a storm or two will bring rare snow down to near sea level during the second and third week of January.

Download the free AccuWeather app to check the forecast in your area. Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.