Strong Winds & More Rain on Tuesday

Tuesday will be a stormy day in Western Washington, with strong winds around the region, more rain, and large waves on the ocean beaches. It will also be quite mild, with high temperatures of 54-62 degrees.

A very strong and deep low pressure center will move parallel to the Washington Coast on Tuesday, making landfall just north of Vancouver Island.

This storm’s size and intensity will bring strong winds to all of Western Washington. Winds will gust 50-70 mph on the coast and north of Everett, and 35-50 mph in the Puget Sound Lowlands. 

Below is an event timeline from NWS Seattle, showing what to expect on Tuesday. (Click to enlarge).

This wind event will unfold in 2 phases.

1. Due to the strength of the low center offshore, it will draw winds out of the gaps in the Cascades. This will create easterly winds gusting 20-40 mph Monday night into early Tuesday morning. The main areas impacted by this will be the foothills of the Cascades.

2. Winds will shift from easterly to southerly (more typical direction) on Tuesday morning. These winds will gust 40-50 mph across the Puget Sound Lowlands. 

In anticipation of this, NWS Seattle has issued a Wind Advisory (below) from 8 AM to 5 PM on Tuesday for winds gusting up to 50 mph. Expect peak winds during the timeframe that the advisory is in effect.

For areas closer to the Cascades (Bonney Lake eastward), the advisory also includes the potential for E-SE winds gusting 40-45 mph before the southerly winds.

Power outages and tree damage is possible with this storm. Be prepared and take caution accordingly.

In addition to winds, more rain is expected in the next few days. Below is the forecast rain from the UW forecast model through 4 AM Thursday.

Expect another 0.5-2.5 inches of rain. This could bring monthly totals to 4-7 inches by Thursday morning. 

A break in weather systems is likely later in the week, but not for long, as more systems are likely to impact the area by the weekend.

Recap: 

• Expect strong winds, gusting 40-50 mph across our area on Tuesday, with peak winds from 8 AM-5 PM
• Be prepared for power outages and tree damage
• Another 0.5-2.5 inches of rain is likely through Thursday
• A short break is likely later in the week, with more systems by the weekend

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One more note...2 weeks ago, Hurricane Eta made landfall in Nicaragua as a Category 4 hurricane, with winds of 145 mph and 25+ inches of rain. Today, only 2 weeks later, Hurricane Iota (below) is making landfall in the same location as a Category 5 hurricane with winds of 160 mph, 15-30 inches of rain, and 15-20 feet of storm surge. The combined damage from these storms will be catastrophic for parts of Central America. Keep the people of this area in your prayers.

Image from Tropical Tidbits.

Stay tuned, be prepared, stay safe, and keep Central America in your prayers.