High winds in the Port Townsend area and West End coast are forecast starting tonight.
In addition, a gale warning has been issued as heavy winds blow up the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and a winter storm warning for up to 20 inches of snow was issued for the Olympic Mountains.
Here are National Weather Service warnings and advisories:
Wind warning:
254 PM PDT SUN MAR 11 2012
WAZ001-510-516-517-120615-
/O.UPG.KSEW.HW.A.0004.120312T0800Z-120312T2300Z/
/O.NEW.KSEW.HW.W.0006.120312T0800Z-120312T2000Z/
SAN JUAN COUNTY-<b<ADMIRALTY INLET AREA-NORTH COAST-CENTRAL COAST-
254 PM PDT SUN MAR 11 2012
…HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TO 1 PM PDT MONDAY…
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SEATTLE HAS ISSUED A HIGH WIND
WARNING…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TO 1 PM PDT MONDAY. THE
HIGH WIND WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.
* SOME AFFECTED LOCATIONS…HOQUIAM AND FORKS ON THE COAST…
PORT TOWNSEND…WHIDBEY ISLAND AND THE SAN JUAN ISLANDS IN THE
INTERIOR LOWLANDS.
* TIMING…A STRONG FRONT WILL MAKE LANDFALL LATE TONIGHT AND
MONDAY MORNING.
* WIND…SOUTHEAST WINDS 30 TO 45 MPH ARE LIKELY WITH LOCAL GUSTS
TO 65 MPH AS THE FRONT MAKES LANDFALL LATER TONIGHT AND MONDAY
MORNING.
* IMPACTS…STRONG WINDS CAN TOPPLE TREES AND CAUSE POWER
OUTAGES.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A HIGH WIND WARNING MEANS THAT A HAZARDOUS WIND EVENT IS IMMINENT
OR OCCURRING.
Strait of Juan de Fuca gale warning:
540 PM PDT SUN MAR 11 2012
INLAND WATERS OF WESTERN WASHINGTON AND THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL
WASHINGTON COASTAL WATERS INCLUDING THE OLYMPIC COAST NATIONAL
MARINE SANCTUARY
UPDATED GALE WARNING REPLACES SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY THIS EVENING FOR
THE COASTAL WATERS AND WEST ENTRANCE TO THE STRAIT. SYNOPSIS AND
GRAYS HARBOR BAR FORECAST REVISED.
PZZ131-120545-
CENTRAL U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-
300 PM PDT SUN MAR 11 2012
…SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM PDT THIS EVENING…
…GALE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY
AFTERNOON…
.TONIGHT…SW WIND 15 TO 25 KT…BECOMING E LATE IN THE EVENING.
WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. RAIN.
.MON…SE WIND 25 TO 35 KT. WIND WAVES 4 TO 6 FT. RAIN.
.MON NIGHT…W WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. SHOWERS.
.TUE…SE WIND 10 KT…BECOMING W LATE IN THE MORNING. WIND WAVES 1
FT.
.TUE NIGHT…SW WIND 10 TO 15 KT LATE…BECOMING LIGHT. WIND WAVES 2
FT OR LESS.
.WED…E WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT.
.WED NIGHT…SE WIND 10 TO 15 KT…BECOMING E 15 TO 25 KT LATE IN
THE EVENING. WIND WAVES 1 OR 2 FT…BUILDING TO 2 TO 4 FT.
.THU…E WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT.
.THU NIGHT…SE WIND 10 TO 15 KT…BECOMING NE LATE IN THE EVENING.
WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS.
.FRI…W WIND 10 TO 15 KT…BECOMING VARIABLE 10 KT LATE IN THE
MORNING. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS.
A GALE WARNING MEANS WINDS OF 34 TO 47 KNOTS ARE IMMINENT OR
OCCURRING. OPERATING A VESSEL IN GALE CONDITIONS REQUIRES
EXPERIENCE AND PROPERLY EQUIPPED VESSELS. IT IS HIGHLY
RECOMMENDED THAT MARINERS WITHOUT THE PROPER EXPERIENCE SEEK SAFE
HARBOR PRIOR TO THE ONSET OF GALE CONDITIONS.
A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY MEANS THAT WIND SPEEDS OF 21 TO 33 KNOTS
ARE EXPECTED TO PRODUCE HAZARDOUS WAVE CONDITIONS TO SMALL CRAFT.
INEXPERIENCED MARINERS…ESPECIALLY THOSE OPERATING SMALLER
VESSELS SHOULD AVOID NAVIGATING IN THESE CONDITIONS.
A RAPIDLY INTENSIFYING SURFACE LOW WILL RACE TOWARD NORTHERN
VANCOUVER ISLAND DURING THE DAY MONDAY. THIS LOW MAY DEEPEN TO
960 MB BEFORE REACHING THE WATERS OFF NORTHERN VANCOUVER ISLAND.
THE ASSOCIATED FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL BRING THE POTENTIAL FOR STORM
FORCE WINDS TO THE COASTAL WATERS AND WEST ENTRANCE TO THE U.S.
STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA AND GALE FORCE WINDS ELSEWHERE. EXPECT
SEAS TO BECOME CHAOTIC ON THE COASTAL WATERS…RESULTING IN
HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS FOR MARITIME INTERESTS.
Olympic Mountains
OLYMPICS-
321 PM PDT SUN MAR 11 2012
…WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TO 4 PM PDT MONDAY…
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SEATTLE HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM
WARNING FOR SNOW AND WIND WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TO 4 PM
PDT MONDAY. THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.
* SOME AFFECTED LOCATIONS…HURRICANE RIDGE.
* TIMING…LATE TONIGHT AND MONDAY.
* ACCUMULATIONS…15 TO 20 INCHES OF SNOW IS EXPECTED FRONT THIS
STRONG FRONT WITH WINDY CONDITIONS. SNOW WILL FALL ON THE
FOOTHILLS AS WELL MONDAY MORNING…WITH SEVERAL INCHES POSSIBLE
AT LOW ELEVATIONS.
* MAIN IMPACT…PERIODS OF SNOW AND WINDY CONDITIONS WILL MAKE FOR
WINTER DRIVING CONDITIONS.
PEOPLE PLANNING TO TRAVEL IN THE MOUNTAINS TONIGHT AND SUNDAY
SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR WINTER WEATHER AND POSSIBLY DIFFICULT
DRIVING CONDITIONS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
PEOPLE PLANNING TO TRAVEL IN THE MOUNTAINS LATER TONIGHT AND
MONDAY SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR WINTER WEATHER AND POSSIBLY
DIFFICULT DRIVING CONDITIONS.
A WINTER STORM WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN 18 INCHES OR MORE IS LIKELY
DURING A 24 HOUR PERIOD OR STRONG WINDS WITH SNOW ARE EXPECTED.
300 PM PST SUN MAR 11 2012
…AVALANCHE WARNING SUNDAY WASHINGTON CASCADES NEAR AND WEST OF THE
CREST NORTH OF STEVENS PASS…
…AVALANCHE WARNING MONDAY OLYMPICS…WASHINGTON CASCADES NEAR AND
WEST OF THE CREST…MT HOOD AREA…
THE LAST STORM DEPOSITED NEARLY 3 FEET OF SNOW THE PAST 2 DAYS IN
THE BAKER AREA AND AN AVALANCHE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THAT
AREA ON SUNDAY.
A VERY STRONG FRONT FROM THE RAPIDLY DEEPENING LOW
SHOULD CROSS THE OLYMPICS AND CASCADES ON MONDAY CAUSING STRONG
WINDS, HEAVY SNOW AND A SLIGHT WARMING TREND. THESE TRENDS SHOULD BE
EXPECTED TO BE PLENTY TO BUILD NEW LARGER AREAS OF DEEPER STORM SLAB
LAYERS ON LEE SLOPES IN MOST AREAS ESPECIALLY NEAR AND WEST OF THE
CREST. SO AN AVALANCHE WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE
OLYMICS…CASCADES NEAR AND WEST OF THE CREST…AND THE MT HOOD AREA
FOR MONDAY.
THIS STATEMENT WILL BE UPDATED AS CONDITIONS WARRANT. PLEASE VISIT
WWW.NWAC.US FOR FURTHER DETAILS.
BACKCOUNTRY TRAVELERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT ELEVATION AND
GEOGRAPHIC DISTINCTIONS ARE APPROXIMATE AND THAT A TRANSITION
ZONE BETWEEN DANGERS EXISTS. REMEMBER THERE ARE AVALANCHE SAFE
AREAS IN THE MOUNTAINS DURING ALL LEVELS OF AVALANCHE DANGER.
NWAC WEATHER DATA AND FORECASTS ARE ALSO AVAILABLE BY CALLING
206-526-6677 FOR WASHINGTON, 503-808-2400 FOR THE MT HOOD AREA,
OR BY VISITING OUR WEB SITE AT www.nwac.us .
