Mount Rainier National Park will close the Nisqually Entrance near Ashford because of the threat of flooding. It could reopen as soon as Thursday morning.

The statement from the park:

Mount Rainier National Park officials will close the Nisqually Entrance gate into the park this evening as a precautionary measure due to the uncertainty of the predicted rising rivers. This step is being taken due to concerns for visitor and employee safety, given the current forecast for flooding and the unpredictability of the Nisqually River, Tahoma and Kautz Creeks, which run along and across the main road between the Nisqually Entrance and Longmire. No known major damage has occurred at this point, but both Tahoma and Kautz Creeks are continuing to rise. Forecasts call for stream levels to rise throughout the night.

The park will reassess the conditions Thursday morning.

A massive avalanche stripped the Summit East ski area of its snow base earlier today.

The slide reportedly damaged several buildings in the base area.

Here's a link to a story from our news partner, KIRO-TV.

And here's a link to their pics of the slide.

All six ski areas in Washington's Cascades are closed today and at least one will remain closed tomorrow.

Road closures on Interstate 90, Highway 410 and Highway 9 forced the closure of The Summit at Snoqualmie, Crystal Mountain and White Pass.

Stevens Pass and Mt. Baker closed because of heavy rain. Mission Ridge near Wenatchee is typically closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Mission Ridge announced today it will not open Thursdays because of wind damage, but hopes to open Friday.

Backcountry skiers should also check the Northwest Avalanche Institute hotline, 206-526-6677, before heading out. Skiing outside a ski area when conditions are high or extreme is not recommended.

On Wednesday the institute said avalanche danger was extreme in the Cascade and Olympic mountains.

The National Weather Service forecasts a return of snow to the Cascades today with clear skies Friday and more snow over the weekend.

If you are planning to head to the coast for the razor clam dig that opens Thursday, be very careful.

The forecast calls for swells to be 14 feet Thursday, dropping to 12 feet on Friday. Conditions will be better Saturday and Sunday, with swells at 8-9 feet.

The dig runs Thursday through Sunday at Twin Harbors, Copalis and Mocrocks, while Long Beach is open Friday through Sunday.

Digging will be allowed only between noon and midnight. Dan Ayres, coastal shellfish manager, said the best time to start digging at all beaches is an hour or two before low tide.

The evening low tide times for this dig are today, 4:13 p.m., -0.2 feet; Friday, 5:07 p.m., -0.8 feet; Saturday, 5:58 p.m., -1.1 feet; and Sunday, 6:45 p.m., -1.2 feet.

Here is an update I received from folks at Mount Rainier and Olympic national parks, plus a check on streamflows at some rivers in both areas.

Mount Rainier National Park

The road to Longmire is open, but some park employees are opting to work at the education center at the Tahoma Woods headquarters complex. The road from Longmire to Paradise will likley stayed closed until the storm has passed, assistant superintendent Randy King said.
With temperatures at Paradise hovering in the low 30s, the snowpack there has shrunk by 6 inches in the last 24 hours.

Local rivers

Puyallup River: Flows at 10 a.m. were 29,100 cubic feet per second, according to the gauge in Puyallup. The river was at 25 feet, below the 30-foot flood stage level.

Nisqually River: Flows at 10 a.m. were 7,130 cubic feet per second, according to the gauge near National. The river was .75 feet above the 10-foot flood stage level. The current forecasted crest will be around 12.6 feet about 4 a.m. Thursday, King said. The highest recorded mark

was November 2006 flood, when the river reached 13.1 feet.
Carbon River: Flows were at 9,600 cfs at 10 a.m., according to the gauge near Fairfax. The river height was 14.86 feet.

Olympic National Park

Nearly a foot of rain has fallen in areas along the coast, causing some washouts and sending water over other roads. The Quinault Valley has received 11 inches of rain since the storm started.

The worst damage is on the Hoh Valley Road on Jefferson County land outside the park, where there have been some major washouts, said park chief ranger Kevin Hendricks.

“We’re doing OK. We’ve gotten a lot of rain and some wind,” Hendricks said. “But we have no injuries and no structural damage, so far.”

Olympic Coast

Queets River: Flows reached 89,100 cubic feet per second at 9:45 a.m. today. On Sunday, flows were down below 4,000 cfs. The river’s height was 24.34 feet.

Hoh River: Was at 37,400 cfs at 10 a.m. Park ranger John Preston said he worries about the status of the Hoh River Valley Road when flows reach 40,000 cfs.

Flows at both rivers were still rising, but not as fast as they did overnight, which might be a sign that rivers have reached their peaks.