Recap: Crazy Weather Day Around Western Washington

FastCast—Tuesday, Nov. 9 to Wednesday, Nov. 10:

What a crazy day around Western Washington! We’ll recap that in the blog below, so keep reading to hear more about Tuesday’s weather. Showers will continue through early Wednesday morning, totaling 0.1-0.4” around the Puget Sound area. Wednesday will likely be mostly dry through the evening, with mostly cloudy conditions and highs in the low to mid 50s. Rain begins late Wednesday, as an atmospheric river begins to impact the area. Heavy rain is expected at times on Thursday and Friday. Stay tuned for more information about the atmospheric river & its impacts.

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Continue reading the full blog below!

What a day in Western Washington! From strong winds to real severe weather, Tuesday had it all! Below is a radar image showing Tornado Warnings and a Special Marine Warning in the Silverdale area at 12 PM Tuesday. (Warnings are in the red and orange lines).

There was not a report of a tornado, but rotation was seen on radar. To add to the craziness of Tuesday’s weather, the Tornado Warnings triggered phone alerts outside the Kitsap Peninsula, including in the Seattle area.

The day started with a strong cold front (and big pressure gradient behind it) brought strong winds to the area. Gusts reached 40-55 mph on the water, 45 mph at SeaTac Airport, 52 mph at the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, and 49 mph in Bonney Lake. Additionally, easterly gusts up to 43 mph were recorded in the Enumclaw area before 5 AM. Over 20,000 customers lost power around the region, particularly in the foothills, Kitsap Peninsula, and the Eastside.

Below are Tuesday’s peak gusts…generally on the higher side of the forecast, especially near Puget Sound.

Winds have diminished as of Tuesday evening, although gusty winds are still possible in showers and near the water.

Thunderstorms were prevalent over parts of the region today. The NWS Storm Prediction Center planned accordingly, issuing a “Marginal” risk of severe weather from Olympia westward. The Pacific Northwest was the only area of severe weather in the entire United States today…quite a rare feat!

In addition to the aforementioned Tornado Warning, a thunderstorm had Severe Thunderstorm Warnings from Aberdeen to Shelton, for gusts up to 60 mph. (See radar image below from 2 PM Tuesday…the warning is the yellow-outlined polygon).

Multiple Special Marine Warnings for waterspout risks were also issued, a couple in Puget Sound and one off the far north Washington coast.

A few thunderstorms made it farther inland than Shelton, with some lightning in the Port Orchard area and a strike (with loud thunder) between Federal Way and Auburn this afternoon (see my photo below of the rain & dark clouds in SE Federal Way at 2:30 PM).

Now, our focus shifts to the atmospheric river, moving in to the area on Thursday. Heavy rain, very high snow levels, and potential flooding are all in the cards. Stay tuned for an update by 9 PM Wednesday about the atmospheric river (and don’t forget to enjoy a relatively dry day on Wednesday)!