NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
731 AM PST WED MAR 2 2011

...STRONG WINDS ARE EXPECTED ON THE WASHINGTON COAST TODAY...

A FRONT IS BRINGING STRONG AND POTENTIALLY DAMAGING WINDS TO THE COAST TODAY.

...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SEATTLE HAS ISSUED A WIND ADVISORY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON.

A STRONG FRONT IS MOVING THROUGH WESTERN WASHINGTON THIS MORNING. SOUTHERLY WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH ARRIVES AT CHEHALIS AT 7 AM...AND WILL SPREAD NORTH THROUGH WESTERN WASHINGTON THIS MORNING. AT 7 AM GUSTS TO 54 MPH OCCURRED AT LAKE LAWRENCE IN EASTERN THURSTON
COUNTY.

SOUTHERLY WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH...WITH LOCAL GUSTS TO AROUND 50 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF WESTERN WASHINGTON THIS MORNING AS SOUTHERLY PRESSURE GRADIENTS RAPIDLY INCREASE BEHIND THE FRONT THIS MORNING.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WIND ADVISORY IS ISSUED WHEN SUSTAINED WINDS OF 30 TO 39 MPH OR GUSTS OF 45 TO 57 MPH ARE LIKELY. WINDS THIS STRONG CAN SNAP SMALL TREE BRANCHES...TOPPLE SMALL OR SHALLOW-ROOTED TREES...AND CAUSE LOCAL POWER OUTAGES.

_____________________

141 homes in the Arbor Heights neighborhood were without power due to a downed tree for about 2 hours. The outage extended from roughly 35th s.w. to 31st s.w. in a loop from s.w. Roxbury to 102nd s.w.

Check the system status any time here http://www.seattle.gov/light/sysstat/