Updated—Active Tuesday Ahead: Rain, Winds, Thunderstorms, and Mountain Snow

Update 7:10 AM: Wind Advisory issued for the Interior Lowlands through 4 PM Tuesday. Expect SW winds 25-35 mph, with gusts up to 40-45 mph. The alert is below.

Gusts of 30-45 mph have already occurred this morning, and are expected to continue through this afternoon, with a potential lull around 10 AM. Tree damage and isolated power outages are possible. 

Additionally, coastal flooding is possible along Puget Sound between 8 AM and 12 PM Tuesday.

There is also a Marginal risk of Severe Thunderstorms from Olympia westward today. Damaging winds are possible, and there is a slight chance of weak tornadoes. See the NWS Storm Prediction Center outlook below.

Stay safe today…lots of active weather around the area!

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FastCast—Monday, Nov. 8 to Wednesday, Nov. 10:

A storm moving north offshore of the Pacific Northwest will bring active weather to the area from Monday night through Tuesday. It begins with gusty Cascadia (gap) winds form Monday night to Tuesday morning. Easterly gusts of 40-50 mph are expected in the foothills, with gusts up to 30 mph downwind of the gaps in the metro area. Rain moves in very early Tuesday morning, with totals of 0.2-0.5” expected by Tuesday evening. Winds shift to southerly by sunrise on Tuesday morning, and gusts of 30-40 mph are expected area-wide during the day, with stronger gusts (40-50 mph) north of Everett and on the coast. Rain will taper and winds will decrease by early Wednesday morning. Expect a break in the rain until late Wednesday, when a potential atmospheric river will begin to impact the area. Highs on Tuesday and Wednesday will be in the low 50s, with lows in the low to mid 40s. Additionally, mountain snow is expected through Tuesday evening, with 2-8” at the passes and 12+” at higher elevations.

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Continue reading the full blog below!

Active weather is in store for late Monday through Tuesday, with gusty winds, rain, and mountain snow expected. 

Let’s start with gap winds…an elongated area of low pressure is offshore, and as of 9 PM, winds have gusted to 38 mph in North Bend and up to 43 mph in Enumclaw. Gusts up to 50 mph are possible in the foothills through early Tuesday morning. Scattered tree damage and isolated power outages are possible due to these winds. Away from the foothills, easterly gusts up to 30 mph are expected through around midnight.

Gap winds will decrease somewhat very early Tuesday morning (12-3 AM), and rain will move in. Below is the UW forecast for rain through 4 PM Tuesday.

Expect 0.2-0.5” across the interior, more on the coast, and less south of Olympia and north of Everett.

Winds shift to southerly by Tuesday morning. Expect gusts of 30-40 mph area-wide on Tuesday, and gusts up to 50 mph on the coast and north of Everett. Below is the forecast from the Windy app for Federal Way.

Winds shift from easterly to southerly around 4-7 AM, and gusts of 30-40 mph are expected through the evening.

Mountain snow is also expected, and coupled with gusty winds at times in the mountains, NWS Seattle has issued the first Winter Storm Warnings of the year. Below is an informative NWS Seattle graphic of expected snow through Tuesday evening.

Snow amounts will vary between different areas. Expect 2-3” at Snoqualmie Pass, 4-8” at Stevens and White Passes, and 12+ inches above 5,000 feet.

An atmospheric river, with heavy rain and very high snow levels, is still possible on Thursday and Friday. Stay tuned for more information as our active weather pattern continues!