The North Olympic Peninsula is included in a National Weather Service special weather statement issued Tuesday.
Look for heavy rains and possibly lightning, especially Thursday.
In its traditional teletype-style all-capital-letters format is the National Weather Service’s statement:
SAN JUAN COUNTY-WESTERN WHATCOM COUNTY-SOUTHWEST INTERIOR-
EAST PUGET SOUND LOWLANDS-WESTERN SKAGIT COUNTY-
EVERETT AND VICINITY-SEATTLE/BREMERTON AREA-TACOMA AREA-
ADMIRALTY INLET AREA-HOOD CANAL AREA-LOWER CHEHALIS VALLEY AREA-
OLYMPICS-EASTERN STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-
WESTERN STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-NORTH COAST-CENTRAL COAST-
WEST SLOPES NORTHERN CASCADES AND PASSES-
WEST SLOPES CENTRAL CASCADES AND PASSES-
159 PM PDT TUE SEP 3 2013
…LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE OVER WESTERN WASHINGTON ON
THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY…
A SLOW MOVING UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM SITTING OFF THE
NORTHERN OREGON COAST IS EXPECTED TO DRIFT SLOWLY EAST ACROSS THE
AREA THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY. AS THE LOW MOVES ACROSS THE AREA…IT
WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. THESE STORMS
WILL LIKELY PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AMOUNTS. SOME STORMS
MAY PRODUCE OVER 1 INCH OF RAINFALL IN LESS THAN AN HOUR.
FORECASTING THE MOVEMENT AND TIMING OF THESE UPPER LEVEL LOWS CAN
BE QUITE DIFFICULT. THE PERIOD OF HEAVY RAINFALL MAY BEGIN AS
EARLY AS THURSDAY…OR IT MAY OCCUR THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY.
WHILE MOST WEATHER FORECAST MODELS SHOW THE POTENTIAL FOR THE
HEAVIEST RAINFALL AMOUNTS BEING OVER THE CASCADES…SOME GUIDANCE
SHOWS THE HEAVIEST AMOUNTS IN THE OLYMPICS AND INTERIOR LOWLANDS.
AT THIS TIME…IT APPEARS THAT WIDESPREAD RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1
TO 2 INCHES IS POSSIBLE IN THE WESTERN WASHINGTON LOWLANDS WHILE
UP TO 4 INCHES COULD LOCALLY OCCUR IN THE MOUNTAINS.
EXCESSIVE RAINFALL RATES CAN OVERWHELM STORM DRAINAGE IN URBAN
AREAS…LEADING TO URBAN FLOODING. THIS CAN ALSO RESULT IN
FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS.
SINCE WEATHER CONDITIONS WITH UPPER LOWS CAN EVOLVE QUICKLY AND
ARE DIFFICULT TO FORECAST…PEOPLE ACROSS WESTERN WASHINGTON ARE
URGED TO STAY TUNED TO LATEST FORECASTS AND UPDATES.
For further details, here are comments from meteorologist (and North Olympic Peninsula native) Scott Sistek with our Seattle news partner, KOMO-TV: http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Soaking-rains-to-bring-potential-for-urban-flooding-this-week-222240701.html
