As we slept, a cold front gathered strength to the west, as rain and wind moved in off the coast. By the time this front reached the South & Central Sound, it had become quite a strong cold front. Take a look at the radar image below...I’m sure you can pick out the front.
That was at 7 AM on Sunday morning, around the time the front was moving through areas of Tacoma, Fife, Federal Way, and Kent. This is when heavy, wind-driven rain woke me up. As the front continued to move eastward, through Puyallup, Bonney Lake, and the surrounding areas, it slightly weakened, but it still brought heavy rain, strong winds, hail (some accumulating), and power outages.
After the front moved through, lighter rain and some gusty winds followed. Let’s take a look at the effects of the front.
Temperature dropped 8-10 degrees between 7:00 AM and 7:30 AM
Winds gusted 30-50 mph
Around 0.2 inches of rain fell in less than 30 minutes
Accumulating hail was reported in many places
Multiple lightning strikes were recorded during the worst of the front
Over 20,000 people lost power in the Puget Sound Area
In this picture from Gunner H. in Bonney Lake, you can see the hail-filled runoff draining down the street. (Outlined in red)
In wake of this front, it will be a cooler day, with highs only topping in the mid-40s. Rain will continue through the day, and there is a chance of thunderstorms from 10 am onward. Additionally, winds will move through the area today, especially around & after 4 pm. Gusts will be 40-50 mph in the South Sound.
If you are driving to the mountains today, be prepared for winter storm conditions, with 12-18 inches of snow likely on all the passes today.
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