Bird flu has been on the rise in Washington state and one sanctuary was hit hard: 20 big cats – more than half of the facility’s population – died over the course of weeks.

Bird flu ripped through a Washington state wildlife sanctuary, killing 20 big cats, the center said in a Facebook post, calling the deaths a "significant loss."

Twenty big cats, including a half-Bengal tiger and four cougars, died between late November and mid-December at a sanctuary in the US state of Washington after becoming infected with bird flu, according to the facility’s director,

FOX 13 Meteorologist has your 7-day forecast, including which areas will see a white Christmas and where snow won't fall across western Washington.

The weather outside on Christmas will, in fact, be frightful as storms roll into the region. Back-to-back storms beginning Tuesday night will bring rain and wind on Christmas on Wednesday, and more will occur into the end of the week for post-Christmas travel as well.