ARLINGTON — The National Weather Service in Seattle has issued a flood warning for the Stillaguamish River at Arlington until the morning of Thursday, Nov. 24.

At 5:39 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 23, the stage was 12.4 feet. Flood stage is 14 feet.

Minor flooding is forecast, with the river anticipated to crest at 16.4 feet around 4 p.m. on Nov. 23. The river is then expected to fall below flood stage later this same Wednesday night.

Once it reaches 16 feet, the Stillaguamish River will cause minor flooding in the Silvana area, including over Pioneer Highway and along Norman Road.

A stage of 16 feet on the Stillaguamish River corresponds roughly to Phase 2 in the Snohomish County flood program.

The National Weather Service advises that motorists not drive cars, vans or trucks through flooded areas, as this is the cause of most flood-related deaths in Washington.

A flood watch is also in effect for other portions of Snohomish County, as well as King, Whatcom, Lewis and Thurston counties, through the morning of Nov. 24.

The upper reaches of most Western Washington rivers are expected to crest by early in the afternoon of Nov. 23, with those crests anticipated to move downstream this same Wednesday night and Thursday morning.

A flood watch means conditions are favorable for flooding, but flooding is not imminent or occurring.

For the U.S. Geological Survey’s real-time water data for the Stillaguamish River at Arlington, log onto http://waterdata.usgs.gov/wa/nwis/uv/?site_no=12167000&PARAmeter_cd=00060,00065.

For Snohomish County Public Works Surface Water Management’s real-time flood warning information, log onto http://www.co.snohomish.wa.us/PWApp/SWM/floodwarn.