Tag Archives: rain

French Toast Emergency, Local, Weather

Wind Advisory issued for the eastside – a lot of weather ahead today

[KIRKLAND] – (MTN) The National Weather Service added a Wind Advisory to the eastside at 7:36 a.m. through 4:00 p.m. today including Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, Bothell, Kenmore, Newport Hills, Sahalee, and Pine Lake.

Temperatures in the Bellevue-Kirkland-Woodinville area were over 60 degrees as an intense flow of sub-tropical air was pushed ahead of an advancing cold front. The area has reached high temperatures for the day with the front advancing into our region.

Winds will be from the south and increase as the cold front approaches, and then shift to the southwest and west and intensify. Southwest winds will rise to 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 45 mph. The ground is extremely saturated, increasing the possibility of trees being blown down. Scatter power outages are likely as the morning progresses.

When the wind shifts to the southwest temperatures will drop and by sunset will be down to 45 degrees. Drivers should prepare for a long commute on Monday evening and give themselves some extra time. Heavy rain, landslide risk, and saturated soil can impact Sounder Train service, commuters should check on conditions in the evening and have an alternative plan for the return home.

Never drive around road closed or high water warning signs, especially in the dark. According to FEMA, a passenger car or car-based sport utility vehicle can stall out in six inches of water and start to float in 12. Even if you successfully drive through high water, moisture can get into critical mechanical components and foul lubricants causing long-term damage.

French Toast Emergency, Local, Weather

Wind and rain on Monday will bring more woe to the Puget Sound lowlands

[KIRKLAND] – (MTN) When it rains it pours and it has been pouring in Western Washington for almost a week with flood watches and warnings across the region. Monday will deliver yet another punch of heavy rain and the strongest winds yet driven along an atmospheric river extending out into the Pacific Ocean.

The forecast for tomorrow is extremely challenging with little agreement across weather models. The strongest winds will move through Central Puget Sound from 6 a.m. to noon on Monday. For wind storms, Malcontent News puts more weight on the Euro Model, which is forecasting a Wind Advisory grade event for the morning.

The National Weather Service has not issued a Wind Advisory at this time. On Sunday at Seatac Airport winds reached Wind Advisory territory for three hours, peaking with a gust of 42 MPH.

For Sunday night, the rain will increase between 11 p.m. and midnight with breezy winds from the south. It will be unseasonably warm, with low temperatures from 55 to 57. South winds will be 10 to 15 MPH with increasing gusts toward daybreak. Overnight rainfall will be around one-tenth of an inch.

Monday morning will be wet, windy, and warm. Temperatures will reach 57 to 59 degrees early in the day before dropping sharply in the afternoon. Winds will continue from the south from 15 to 25 MPH with gusts to 45 MPH. Rainfall with be close to three-quarters of an inch through the area, further saturating the soil.

Saturated soils combined with the wind will increase the chance of trees being uprooted, as well as enhance the landslide risk. Scattered power outages are likely. By sunset, the winds will die down along with the rain. Overnight temperatures will drop to 38 to 40 degrees.

Drivers should prepare for a long commute on Monday morning and give themselves some extra time. Heavy rain, landslide risk, and saturated soil can impact Sounder Train service, commuters should check on conditions in the morning and have an alternative plan for the return home.

People should never drive around road closed or high water warning signs, especially in the dark. According to FEMA, a passenger car or car-based sport utility vehicle can stall out in six inches of water and start to float in 12. Even if you successfully drive through high water, moisture can get into critical mechanical components and foul lubricants causing long-term damage.

Local, Weather

Region cleans up after windstorm rages through the night

The Puget Sound region woke up to hundreds of thousands without power after a windstorm tore through the area overnight. An atmospheric river pointed a firehose right at the heart of Puget Sound as pounding rain and howling winds battered the region. Peak wind gusts reached 40 to 70 MPH around midnight, sending trees crashing through homes and across highways. 

In the last 72 hours, 3.03 inches of rain has fallen at Seatac Airport, and since January 1, 7.45 inches of rain has fallen, making this the wettest start to January in history. A USPS truck was almost blown off the Deception Pass Bridge, and images showed it perched on the guardrail, partially dangling over the side. The driver was uninjured and was able to exit the vehicle. A large tree fell across all of the southbound lanes of SH-167 outside of Puyallup, closing the highway. Both the Deception Pass Bridge and SH-167 have reopened. 

A number of areas schools canceled class for the day due to widespread power and Internet outages making remote learning impossible. In Kirkland, fire and police were dispatched to a rollover accident at 100th NE and Juanita-Woodinville NE. Inoperable traffic lights may have been a contributing factor to the wreck. 

Further south in Dodson, Oregon, about 60 miles east of Portland, one person is missing after the vehicle they were in was swept away in a mudslide. Officials are searching for the victim but active mudslides are making it difficult

A much drier weather pattern lies ahead, with sun forecasted for Wednesday and Thursday. Over the weekend, light and scattered showers will return. The long-range forecast points to next week being much calmer.