As rain hammered the region yesterday, from the streets of Seattle to the slopes of Stevens Pass, meteorologist Carl Cerniglia had some words of wisdom for the days ahead:

"Don't plan any picnics."

The National Weather Service in Seattle issued flood warnings yesterday afternoon for rivers in King, Snohomish, Skagit, Whatcom, Clallam and Grays Harbor counties. Rain is expected to continue through Saturday, sometimes pounding down, sometimes pattering at a slower pace, said Cerniglia, of the weather service.

Rainfall totals from yesterday through today could exceed 10 inches in the Olympic Mountains and could exceed 6 to 9 inches in the Central and North Cascades, according to the weather service.

That puts the following rivers in Western Washington at risk of flooding: the Bogachiel, Nooksack, Satsop, Skagit, Skokomish, Skykomish, Snoqualmie, Stillaguamish and Tolt.

"Some of the flooding could be fairly major," said Cerniglia. "Anyone who lives along any river in Western Washington definitely needs to stay tuned."

An ice-storm warning for the west slopes of the Central Cascades and the mountain passes was to remain in effect until 6 a.m. today. An avalanche warning was in effect for those same areas through last night.

Extremely icy conditions early yesterday shut down Interstate 90 across Snoqualmie Pass.

"It basically became a sheet of ice, and then freezing rain on top of that ice," said Kelly Spangler, State Patrol spokeswoman.

The road reopened around 8:30 a.m., with the Patrol requiring all vehicles to have chains on their tires. That rule was lifted late yesterday afternoon.

"The roads are improving rapidly," said Dave Soderstrom of the state Department of Transportation.

Spangler said no serious accidents were recorded on that stretch of I-90 through yesterday afternoon. She credited that to road closures and the fact that Martin Luther King Jr. Day is not a holiday that brings high traffic: "If this had been Thanksgiving, I think we would have been in a world of hurt."

A slide was reported in Seattle's Magnolia neighborhood, where dirt and brush on West Galer Street temporarily cut off road access. Another slide forced a 90-minute closure of southbound Highway 99 near 14th Avenue South in the South Park area last night.

Gale warnings were posted for the Pacific Coast, entrances to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the state's other northern waters. A slide closed Chuckanut Drive near the Skagit-Whatcom county line. The same section of Highway 11 was closed last week by a slide.

Information from The Associated Press is included in this report. Cara Solomon: 206-464-2024