THE NATIONAL WEATHER Service this morning issued this urgent weather message about heavy winds this afternoon and overnight.
FOR MORE DETAILS, here are reports from our Seattle news partner, KOMO-TV, done by KOMO’s weather expert, Port Angeles native Scott Sistek:
What to expect in the greater Everett/Snohomish County areas, Whidbey Island, Bellingham/Whatcom Co., Mt. Vernon/Skagit Co, San Juan Islands, greater Port Townsend area, northern Kitsap County:
WIND: A High Wind Warning is in effect from 5 p.m. Sunday through 7 a.m. Monday with peak gusts between 9 p.m. Sunday and midnight. South winds are expected from 25-40 mph gusting to as high as 60 mph, with gusts to 65-70 mph possible on Whidbey Island and the Admiralty Inlet area.
One model suggests that we could also get a westerly surge of wind down the Strait of Juan de Fuca after the front passes around midnight that could bring a renewed wind of 40-55 mph gusting to 60-70 mph, especially northern Whidbey Island, Fidalgo Island and the southern San Juan Islands. This westerly surge is a bit more uncertain than the southerly wind speeds forecast for this evening but something to prepare for.
RAIN: About 1/2″ here as the Olympic Rain Shadow keeps rainfall totals less.
FLOOD: Flood Watch remains in effect for Whatcom/Skagit County rivers — best chance to have minor flooding is the Nooksack River.
Port Angeles-Sequim
WIND: You get protected from the southeast and southerly winds but will get a surge of west wind late Sunday night. A Wind Advisory is in effect here from 9 p.m. Sunday through 7 a.m. Monday for west wind of 20-35 mph gusting to 40-55 mph near the water.
Timing: Peak winds 11 p.m. to 3 a.m.
RAIN: Minimal, due to Olympic Rain Shadow.
Washington Coast – Far Western Strait of Juan de Fuca (Sekiu)
WIND: High Wind Warning in effect from 3 p.m. to 5 a.m. with two peak wind times: 5-10 p.m. and a second burst of wind around midnight. Southerly winds of 25-40 mph with gusts to 60-65 mph with potential for 75 mph along the far north coast. Stay tuned here because some models are indicating these speeds could go higher, especially on the north coast.
HIGH SURF: A High Surf Warning from 5 p.m. Sunday through 11 a.m. Monday for surf as high as 27-30 feet.
FLOODING: Flood Watches remain in effect for rivers flowing off Olympic Mountains.
FOR UPDATES: www.komonews.com/news/local/Second-powerful-storm-set-to-make-for-very-windy-Sunday-225710331.html
Here’s the National Weather Service’s advisory, in its all-caps, dot-dot-dot format:
URGENT – WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
1107 AM PDT SUN SEP 29 2013
…POWERFUL AND DAMAGING WINDSTORM TO AFFECT PARTS OF WESTERN
WASHINGTON TONIGHT…
.EXPLOSIVE DEVELOPMENT IS TAKING PLACE WITH A LOW PRESSURE CENTER
THAT WILL MAKE LANDFALL THIS EVENING SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THE FAR
NORTH WASHINGTON COAST AND CENTRAL VANCOUVER ISLAND THIS EVENING.
THIS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE ONE OF THE STRONGEST SEPTEMBER
WINDSTORMS ON RECORD. NORTHWEST WASHINGTON…FROM THE NORTH COAST
THROUGH THE STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA AND THE NORTH INTERIOR…WILL
BE AT THE GREATEST RISK FROM THE STRONGEST WINDS.
EASTERN STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-
1107 AM PDT SUN SEP 29 2013
…WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO 7 AM PDT
MONDAY…
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SEATTLE HAS ISSUED A WIND
ADVISORY…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO 7 AM PDT
MONDAY.
* SOME AFFECTED LOCATIONS…PORT ANGELES AND SEQUIM.
* TIMING…STRONGER WINDS WILL OCCUR AFTER A SHIFT TO WEST WINDS
OCCURS AROUND 11 PM.
* WIND…WEST WINDS 20 TO 35 MPH…WITH GUSTS OF 40 TO 55 MPH NEAR
EXPOSED LOCATIONS ALONG THE STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA.
* IMPACTS…WINDS THIS STRONG CAN SNAP SMALL TREE BRANCHES…
TOPPLE SMALL OR SHALLOW ROOTED TREES…AND CAUSE LOCAL POWER
OUTAGES.
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.
PORT TOWNSEND
EAST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-
NORTHERN INLAND WATERS INCLUDING THE SAN JUAN ISLANDS-
ADMIRALTY INLET-
1116 AM PDT SUN SEP 29 2013
…STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 AM PDT MONDAY…
* WIND…SOUTHEAST WINDS 15 TO 25 KNOTS THROUGH EARLY THIS
AFTERNOON WILL INCREASE TO 30 TO 40 KT WITH GUSTS TO 50 KT
LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE WIND WILL SHIFT TO
SOUTHWEST LATER THIS EVENING WITH WESTERLIES PUSHING ACROSS
WHIDBEY ISLAND AND THE NORTH PART OF ADMIRALTY INLET.
* SEAS…2 TO 4 FEET THROUGH EARLY THIS AFTERNOON WILL BUILD TO
3 TO 5 FEET THIS AFTERNOON AND 6 TO 8 FEET TONIGHT.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A STORM WARNING MEANS WINDS OF 48 TO 63 KNOTS ARE IMMINENT OR
OCCURRING. RECREATIONAL BOATERS SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT…OR TAKE
SHELTER UNTIL WIND AND SEAS SUBSIDE. COMMERCIAL VESSELS SHOULD
PREPARE FOR VERY STRONG WINDS AND DANGEROUS SEA CONDITIONS…AND
CONSIDER REMAINING IN PORT OR TAKING SHELTER IN PORT UNTIL WIND
AND SEAS SUBSIDE.
OLYMPICS
1107 AM PDT SUN SEP 29 2013
…HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 4 AM
PDT MONDAY…
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SEATTLE HAS ISSUED A HIGH WIND
WARNING…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 4 AM PDT
MONDAY.
* SOME AFFECTED LOCATIONS…EXPOSED RIDGETOP LOCATIONS SUCH AS
HURRICANE RIDGE.
* TIMING…THE STRONGEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO OCCUR THIS EVENING
AND OVERNIGHT.
* WIND…INCREASING FROM THE SOUTH AND THEN SOUTHWEST AT 35 TO 50
MPH WITH GUSTS NEAR 75 MPH.
* IMPACTS…WINDS THIS STRONG CAN BLOW DOWN TREES.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A HIGH WIND WARNING MEANS THAT A HAZARDOUS WIND EVENT IS IMMINENT
OR OCCURRING.
