Local News

The Associated Press

Forecasters say a cold front that moved into the Northwest overnight will bring more winds, rain and mountain snow today to Western Washington and a mix of rain and snow in Eastern Washington.

One overnight gust of 52 mph was recorded at the Whidbey Island Naval Air Station and the National Weather Service says other gusts in Western Washington have been in the 30 to 40 mph range.

Rain in the lowlands is accompanied by snow in the Cascades where another 4 to 9 inches are expected Monday above 2,000 feet.

More snow also is forecast for the mountains of Eastern Washington with some accumulations in northern valleys. Forecasters expect 1 to 3 inches Monday in the Spokane-area.

Forecasters expect dryer weather on tomorrow.

High winds strong enough to snap tree branches and cause power outages are expected to roll through Western Washington Monday.

Gusts of up to 55 mph, with sustained winds of 20 to 30 mph, are forecast for the Central Puget Sound area under a “Wind Advisory” issued Sunday night by the National Weather Service.

The strongest winds were expected to hit between midnight and mid-morning Monday, but windy conditions were forecast to continue into the late afternoon.  In that same time period, up to a foot and a half of snow is expected in the mountains.

Hien Truong braves the wind Friday on his way to Seattle’s Chinatown International District to take care of his father-in-law. (Photo by Ken Lambert / The Seattle Times)

High winds, high surf, steady rain and heavy snow in the mountains are the expected hallmarks of a storm that has already begun moving into Western Washington.

By 8 a.m., some areas along the coast were already recording gusts of 50 mph.   Winds that strong are also expected around the Bellingham and possibly as far south as Everett’s Paine Field as the day goes on.

The Seattle area could see gusts of 40 mph with sustained winds of  20 to 30 mph Friday afternoon.

Meanwhile, another one to two feet of snow is expected to fall in the Cascades by midday Saturday, and drivers are urged to be prepared for severe conditions. A gradual warming Friday afternoon is expected to increase the chances of avalanches on the Cascades’ western slopes, according to the National Weather Service.

Interstate 90 near Snoqualmie Pass was expected to be closed to traffic about 8 a.m for avalanche-control work that typically takes about 20 minutes to two hours. More closures could be necessary later in the day.

The Weather Service has also issued a “high surf advisory” for the Washington coast through noon Saturday, with breakers that could range from 25 to 29 feet – more than twice the size of what might be considered normal. Waves that size could wash up a beach faster than a person can run, according to the advisory.

Surf experts say while waves will be big, conditions will be too rough for surfing. Micah Sklut of Swellinfo.com said the surf will peak early Saturday morning, but will remain choppy and dangerous.

Deputy Director of Grays Harbor County Emergency Management advised amateur surfers to stay out of the water, and said anyone walking along the beach should remain alert and keep their eyes on the water at all times.

The Associated Press

The strongest storm of the season so far in Washington has brought high winds, heavy mountain snow and power outages in south King and Thurston counties.

It’s called December.

After a soggy Sunday that produced more than triple the normal rainfall, Western Washington is getting only a slight break before the next storm – one that could produce power outages
overnight and snarl the Tuesday morning commute.

Winds of 20 to 35 mph with gusts to 50 are expected shortly after midnight along the Washington coast and in areas north of Everett, enough to topple trees and branches onto power lines.

In the Seattle area, the winds are expected to hold off until later in the morning, with steady winds of 15 to 30 mph and gusts to 40 mph, along with rain, possible during the Tuesday morning commute hours.

A particularly noisy storm hit some Puget Sound areas between 2 and 6 a.m. Monday, as winds with gusts of about 30 miles per hours lashed rain into windows.  “It was impressive-sounding at least,” said Chris Burke of the Weather Service.  Sea-Tac recorded about a third of an inch of rain between midnight and 6 a.m.

A showers are likely to continue through the week.

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport had 0.77 inches of rain Sunday, compared to a normal amount for the date of 0.20.  The wettest Dec. 2 on record was in 1975, with 1.75 inches of rain.

Rain showers and a few thunderstorms are expected here today and tomorrow, but the system that made such a mess yesterday has headed to the Oregon Coast, according to the National Weather Service in Seattle.

The thunderstorms, along with some wind, are on the Washington Coast this morning and the Weather Service is watching to see if they will reach us, says Jay Albrecht, a meteorologist with the Weather Service

Meteorologists are also watching a low-pressure weather pattern developing in the Pacific to see if it heads north. If so, it will likely create windy conditions here tomorrow. But, Albrecht added, “It could be more of an Oregon problem than here.”

Weather on Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, is looking downright nice, Albrecht said.

“The good news about Thanksgiving is it looks like we’re going into a dry spell. We may even see some sunshine,” he said.

That being said, a cold front will hit the region on Friday. Skiers and snowboarders will relish the weekend weather because a hefty dump of snow is expected in the mountains.

That, of course, is good news for skiers because Stevens Pass is opening today and Crystal Mountain and Mount Baker are opening Wednesday.

If you like good old-fashioned Western Washington rainstorms, you’ll love the weather that kicks in this weekend.

“We’re looking at four significant weather systems in five days,” said Chris Burke of the Weather Service, saying the storms are expected to hit Saturday, Sunday night, Monday night and again on Wednesday.

In all, they could drop 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches of rain in the Puget Sound lowlands, and about twice that near the coast.

Heavier  precipitation is expected in the mountains, falling as snow in higher elevations. Snoqualmie Pass, at 3,022, is likely to see mostly rain, or a rain-snow mix. But Stevens Pass, 1,000 feet higher, could get 10 inches of snow or more over the weekend, according to the forecast.

It’s also expected to be breezy on the coast and in the mountains, less so in the Greater Seattle area.

Is there an explanation for the soggy weather pattern heading our way from the Pacific? “Yes,” said Burke. “It’s called November.”

November is typically the wettest month in the Seattle area, and the month’s last two weeks are the rainiest.

Through Wednesday, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport had recorded 1.96 inches of rain so far this month, compared to a normal 2.96 inches for November’s first two weeks.

“So we’re an inch down, but I have a suspicion we’ll make that up,” Burke said.
Normal Sea-Tac precipitation for all of November is 6.57 inches.

Because the coming precipitation will be spread out over five days, it’s not as likely to produce flooding as it would if it all fell in a day or two, Burke said.  But some rivers, such as Skokomish River in Mason County could reach flood level at some point, although no flood warnings are currently posted.

The Associated Press

Winds gusting to 49 mph early Tuesday partially broke the frigate USS Ingraham away from its mooring at Naval Station Everett.

The ship swung about 90 degrees to the dock, but base spokeswoman Kristin Ching told KOMO it did not break free and there was no damage.

The 450-foot ship was secured with the help of a tugboat.

Weather: Currently overcast and still windy out there, with gusts of around 50 mph expected in coastal areas and in the Strait of Juan de Fuca this afternoon, according to KING-TV. Expect the cloud cover to stick around throughout the day, but we might avoid the rain today. It will be warmer this afternoon, with highs in the upper 50s to low 60s. But a cold front arriving Tuesday is expected to add up to a foot of new snow in the north Cascades. The National Weather Service forecast.

Traffic: The Battery Street Tunnel was closed briefly this morning due to a car crash. The driver is fine, and the wreck is now clear. Otherwise, hearing about sporadic problems around the region, but nothing that should affect your commute. The map and cams.

Motorcyclist injured in crash on Alaskan Way Viaduct: A woman suffered life-threatening injuries last night in a motorcycle accident on the Alaskan Way Viaduct. The woman, in her 40s, was taken to Harborview Medical Center, according to the Seattle Fire Department. Her condition was not immediately known this morning.

Day 2 of our Amazon series: Today we take a look at publishers and others in the book world who worry that Amazon will use its pricing pressure to crush publishers. They say Amazon’s demands for deeper discounts threaten already-thin profit margins, and some warn about an Amazon monopoly.

Wind complicating search for marina fire victims: Officials are still looking for the bodies of two people presumed dead in the fire Friday that sank their boat at a Bellingham marina. A crane is being barged in to help, but that operation was complicated by the high winds.

Skier dies in White Pass tree well: A skier who died at White Pass is described as a woman in her 20s who worked at the ski area this season. Ski area general manager Kevin McCarthy says she fell headfirst into a tree well — where snow piles up around a tree — and apparently suffocated.

Most-read stories this morning on seattletimes.com:

Weather: Partly sunny out there right now but boy is it breezy! Wind is blowing from the southwest around 20 mph, enough to create whitecaps on Elliott Bay. March came in like a lion, but it seemed to go out like one as well. We did catch a bit of a break in the rain last night and through the morning, but don’t expect that to hold today. Today, there’s an 80 percent chance of precipitation, with highs in the low 50s. The National Weather Service forecast.

Traffic: Fairview Avenue North is closed until 5 a.m. Monday for road construction. Also, one lane of both the northbound and southbound Mercer Street I-5 off-ramps are closed for road work. Might cause some backup. Other than that it’s clear out there. The map and cams.

April Fools’ Day: Keep a vigilant eye out for pranksters today. Seattle Times funnyman Ron Judd has an interesting take on what makes Seattle humor — or lack thereof — unique.

Day 1 of Amazon series: In a four-part series beginning today, The Seattle Times gives readers a glimpse inside local business Amazon.com. In today’s installment, we found that the company is a virtual no-show in the civic life of Seattle, contributing to nonprofits and charities a tiny fraction of what other big corporations give.

Taste Washington: The 15th annual Taste Washington is expected to draw 3,500 people, who will sample food from 52 restaurants and more than 800 wines this weekend at the CenturyLink Field Event Center. The event continues today from 2 to 5 p.m.

Most-read stories this morning on seattletimes.com: