While flooding may not reach the historic levels seen last week, a KIRO 7 meteorologist said the overall impacts could actually be worse.

Another atmospheric river will bring more rain to the Pacific Northwest later this week, heightening an extensive flood threat.

The weather service has issued a flood watch for northwest Oregon and southwest Washington from early Thursday to early Saturday.

What is it about mid-December weather? The latest atmospheric river has brought warm, heavy rain, resulting in widespread major flooding and landslides.

(THE CONVERSATION) Along the U.S. West Coast, atmospheric rivers are dreaded for the damage they can cause, but they are also essential to the region’s snowpack and water supply, as Qian Cao, a hydrologist at the University of California, San Diego, explains.

As another atmospheric river moves over Washington, it is expected that the area will receive another 5-8 inches of rain. This comes just days after a historic flooding devastated parts of Washington.

Parts of California are bracing for a series of rain and wind events over the next week as back-to-back atmospheric rivers move through the state.