Heavy rain forecast to fall in the mountains could cause flooding this week, says KIRO 7 meteorologist Morgan Palmer.

Two to 6 inches of rain is expected to fall on the west slopes of the Cascades and the west side of the Olympics from Tuesday through early Wednesday, Palmer said in his weekly online weather chat.

"This will cause sharp rises in the rivers coming out of the Cascades, especially," he wrote. "This will be the sharpest rise and the greatest threat for flooding on the Cascade river basins so far this season."

He said that most likely, the flooding will be minor, but rainfall above the model forecasts could produce more serious concerns.

The National Weather Service mentioned the potential for flooding this morning, saying, "This is a fairly classic flood-producing pattern for Western Washington. It is similar to the one that produced major flooding in late November 1990, though that episode was stronger and lasted much longer than this one will."

Longer-range models suggest the possibility of lowland snow next weekend, Palmer said.

Some frozen precipitation could fall on at least some hills below 1,000 feet, he said.

"While that's a possibility, it'll likely be light," he said. "Our primary focus in the weather center the next few days will be flooding."