UPDATE 10/14/16
The National Weather Service has issued a new advisory regarding winds through today Friday 10/14 and tomorrow 10/15.
"Wind Advisory in effect until 6 PM PDT this evening...
... High wind watch remains in effect from Saturday afternoon through
late Saturday night...
... High Wind Warning has ended...
The National Weather Service in Seattle has issued a Wind Advisory...
which is in effect until 6 PM PDT this evening. The High Wind
Warning has ended.
* Timing... southerly winds will rise again midday today and peak
this afternoon or early evening... then ease temporarily
tonight. A stronger storm will arrive Saturday evening with high
winds likely.
* Winds... south winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 45 mph
today... strongest midday through afternoon. South winds 20 to 40
mph with gusts to 65 mph are possible Saturday night.
* Impacts... there were scattered power outages overnight... and
more are possible with the winds today. Tree damage is typically
greater this early in the season... so keep in mind that falling
limbs and trees are an occasional cause of injury and fatality
during western Washington windstorms.
Precautionary/preparedness actions...
A Wind Advisory means that winds of 35 mph are expected with gusts
as high as 50 mph. Winds this strong can make driving
difficult... especially for high profile vehicles. Use extra
caution.
A high wind watch means there is the potential for a hazardous high
wind event. Sustained winds of at least 40 mph... or gusts of 58 mph
or stronger may occur. Continue to monitor the latest forecasts."
Original Post 10/12/16
Living in West Seattle means our exposure to high winds is enhanced by being on a peninsula. We can expect that premise to be tested starting Thursday as high winds return to the area according to the National Weather Service. Downed branches and trees, a mess on the roads and power outages are all possible. It's a good time to secure items outside that might be affected by high winds with gusts up to 55 to 60mph predicted. The stormy weather pattern is expected to continue through Saturday when a very serious storm comes to the area. Coupled with high tides it could cause serious damage. The NWS said there's a potential for a, "historical windstorm for nearly all of Western Washington that would be long remembered."
NOTE: SEND NEWSTIPS ABOUT DOWNED TREES OR OTHER WEATHER DAMAGE TO WestSeattle@robinsonnews.com
In a special statement the NWS said:
"Friday will be rainy and windy... but it will serve as a relative
lull before a more potentially damaging storm on Saturday.
We still have much to learn about the Saturday storm. What we know
is that an incredibly deep low pressure center... with its origins
traced back to Typhoon Songda in the western Pacific... will move
into the northeast Pacific and peak in strength on Saturday.
What remains to be seen is exactly what track the low center will
take. This will make a huge difference in how badly this storm
impacts western Washington. There is a 1 in 3 chance of the low
center directly crossing some part of western Washington. This
would be a worst case scenario leading to a historical windstorm
for nearly all of western Washington that would be long
remembered.
There is a 2 in 3 chance that the low center will pass hundreds of
miles off the coast... making landfall over central or northern
Vancouver Island instead. This outcome confine the most damaging
winds to the coast and to the north interior (areas north of
everett)... but inland locations such as the Puget Sound region and
the I-5 corridor of southwest Washington would experience the type
of windstorm that would normally be expected a few times each
storm season. Power outages and tree damage over inland locations
would be less widespread."
Here's the forecast from the National Weather Service:
...HIGH WIND WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SEATTLE HAS ISSUED A HIGH WIND WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT.
* TIMING...STRONG WINDS COULD RISE ACROSS THE WESTERN WASHINGTON LOWLANDS EARLY THURSDAY EVENING...WITH WINDS LIKELY PEAKING AROUND MIDNIGHT OR DURING THE EARLY HOURS OF FRIDAY MORNING.
* WINDS...SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST WINDS 25 TO 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE ALONG THE WASHINGTON COAST AND IN THE NORTH INTERIOR OF WESTERN WASHINGTON WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 60 MPH. WINDS IN THE PUGET SOUND REGION AND SOUTHWEST INTERIOR COULD REACH 20 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS 45 TO 55 MPH.
* IMPACTS...THE STRONG WINDS...IF THEY OCCUR...COULD BREAK TREE LIMBS AND TOPPLE SMALL TREES...AND THIS IS OCCASIONALLY A CAUSEOF FATALITIES DURING WESTERN WASHINGTON WIND STORMS. IN ADDITION...POWER OUTAGES ARE POSSIBLE.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A HIGH WIND WATCH MEANS THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGING WINDS. SUSTAINED WINDS OF AT LEAST 30 TO 40 MPH...OR GUSTS OF 50 TO 60 MPH OR STRONGER MAY OCCUR.
Here are the predicted winds and wave heights for the next few days:
PUGET SOUND AND HOOD CANAL-
900 AM PDT WED OCT 12 2016
TODAY
S WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS.
TONIGHT
S WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING 10 TO 20 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT.
WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. A CHANCE OF RAIN IN THE EVENING...THEN RAIN
AFTER MIDNIGHT.
THU
S WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON.
WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. RAIN.
THU NIGHT
SE WIND 20 TO 30 KT...BECOMING S 30 TO 40 KT AFTER
MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 3 TO 5 FT...BUILDING TO 5 TO 7 FT AFTER
MIDNIGHT.
FRI
S WIND 20 TO 30 KT...EASING TO 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON.
WIND WAVES 3 TO 5 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 TO 3 FT IN THE AFTERNOON.
FRI NIGHT
S WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT.
SAT
SE WIND 25 TO 35 KT...BECOMING S 30 TO 40 KT. WIND WAVES
5 TO 7 FT.
SUN
S WIND 20 TO 30 KT...EASING TO 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 3 TO
5 FT...SUBSIDING TO 2 FT OR LESS.
