Rainy & Windy On Tuesday

Winds have calmed from Sunday/Monday's minor wind event, only to pick up again--likely stronger--than they were previously.

A Wind Advisory is in effect for the Puget Sound Lowlands from 12 PM-6 PM Tuesday. You can find the alert below or click here.

Here's the bottom line with this storm...expect winds of 20-30 mph with gusts of 40-50 mph across Puget Sound on Tuesday.

Let's take a look at the details of not only the winds, but also the last round of rain for the near future.

This wind graphic from NWS Seattle shows expected peak winds on Tuesday.

You can click on the image to zoom in and see the numbers. I also have a forecast below.

A moderately strong low pressure center will make landfall on central Vancouver Island on Tuesday. The pressure gradient (change) behind it will bring strong winds to Western Washington. Stronger pressure change=stronger winds. The closer the lines of pressure on the map, the stronger the winds will be. 

Strong winds are likely across the area on Tuesday due to this strong pressure change.

Let's talk timing. Winds will increase in the early morning hours, with winds gusting over 30 mph all day. Peak winds are expected to occur in the afternoon.

Here are the peak gust forecasts for cities around the region on Tuesday:

Puyallup/Sumner: 40-50 mph

South Hill: 40-50 mph

Graham:  35-45 mph

Bonney Lake: 35-50 mph

Tacoma/Fife: 40-50 mph

Lakewood: 40-50 mph

Federal Way:  40-50 mph

Auburn: 40-50 mph

As you can see...widespread wind gusts of 40-50 mph are likely. There is a small chance of winds above 50 mph, but that is most likely over the water. Winds will gradually subside through Tuesday night.

This graphic from NWS Seattle gives some good reminders for when winds are forecast.

Since this is the first windstorm of the season, expect localized power outages and tree damage.

In addition to the wind expected on Tuesday, we will also have 0.5-1.5 inches of rain through Wednesday morning. The bulk of the rain will be late Monday night into Tuesday morning.

Here's the UW model forecast showing precipitation through 5 AM Wednesday.

It is safe to expect between 0.5 and 2.5 inches of rain across the Lowlands with this system.

One impact of the combination of rain and wind is leaves and other debris clogging area storm drains, causing urban flooding and standing water. This NWS Seattle graphic outlines some hazards.

Stay safe out there! If you're not a storm fan...we're expecting some sun soon!