Rain has finally arrived in the Northwest ... watch out

After a late start to the fall, rain has finally come to the Northwest. That is good news for firefighters combatting wildfires, and for the region's air quality. But with rain comes a warning: Watch out for road hazards and landslides.

"The roads haven't been washed off for a while, and so there's an accumulation of oils and all the crude and so forth," state climatologist Nick Bond told KUOW. "It's going to be especially slippery, and so, everybody should take a chill pill."

The rain that is in the forecast over the next several days could also trigger landslides, especially in areas around Skykomish and Highway 2, where the Bolt Creek fire has now burned nearly 15,000 acres.

WSDOT warns of possible road closures along Highway 2 because of falling trees around the burn area, which crews have been working to clear.

Meteorologist Maddie Kristell says this weekend will bring just round one of the rain.

“We might have a little break on Sunday, but by Sunday night into Monday, round two effectively comes in and brings in another dose of precipitation to the area," Kristell told KUOW. "And all of the longer range models at this point support additional systems coming through at least into mid to late next week.”

Meanwhile, the Nakia Creek fire burning in southwest Washington near Camas has now burned nearly 2,000 acres since it started Oct. 9, possibly by people shooting off fireworks in the area.