WEST SEATTLE WEATHER: New alerts, and what"s happening now

What is the climate like in Seattle, WA? Seattle Realtor Talks About Weather Condtions

(Constellation Park, 2:30 this afternoon photo by Jason Bell)

4:26 PM: Following up on our midday coverage of water and mud trouble more weather news this afternoon. First, three National Weather Service alerts you should know about:

*The Special Weather Statement about slide risk, mentioned in our earlier coverage too.

(Off Alki Point this afternoon photo by Bruce Easter)

*Another Coastal Flood Advisory for the early-morning high tide tomorrow the water could be at least a foot higher than predicted because of weather factors.

*wind advisory for 8 am-3 pm tomorrow, with sustained wind from the southwest 20-35 mph and gusts to 50 mph.

But the mud is todays trouble. If youre using the main Vashon Island ferry dock, for example, heres a problem:

(Photo courtesy King County Roads)

The King County Transportation Department sent word of a significant landslide that occurred this afternoon on 103rd Avenue Southwest near the Vashon Ferry Terminal parking lot. Crews are working to channel ferry traffic onto Vashon Highway Southwest instead of 103rd. Crews estimate it will take about eight hours to clear debris from the road. Travelers in the area should expect delays.

Meantime, Ted Ellis sent this photo of mud along Seola Beach Drive:

Ted says, This is one of three different slides and part of the road looks like a pretty big wall of mud might come down. Were off to check on a few other things more to come.

4:54 PM: We went back to West Marginal Way SW, a short way north of Highland Park Way, and discovered SDOT crews are still there:

One to two SB lanes are blocked there as crews work on water and debris trouble, so southbound traffic is being diverted into the center lane for a short distance. We have also gone by a trouble spot on which reported this morning Delridge at Myrtle; the northbound lane is still fairly well puddled.

5:50 PM: We also went to Seola Beach Drive for a look at the slide mentioned above. There are indeed multiple spots with signs along the southbound side of the road, in the section thats greenbelt on both sides heres the most-sizable slide spot on the slope:

Its not blocking a travel lane, so far.

10:55 PM: King Countys Brent Champaco sent this update on the Vashon slide:

103rd Avenue SW on Vashon Island near the north ferry terminal will remain closed until 5 a.m. tomorrow morning (Friday, Feb. 10) From 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. the roadway will be open to northbound traffic only in order to accommodate ferry rush hour traffic. At 9 a.m. the roadway will close so clean up crews can continue their work. Clean up is taking longer than expected due to the amount of debris including a large tree.

Source: http://westseattleblog.com/2017/02/west-seattle-weather-new-alerts-and-whats-happening-now/

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Are we about to bid adieu to nice Seattle weather?

April 8 Seattle Bound - The Weather

It was chilly around Puget Sound Wednesday morning, with some areas dipping into the 40s. Seattle weather was a bit better, with temperatures in the low 50s.

On the positive side, KIRO 7 Meteorologist Nick Allard told Seattles Morning News that temperatures in most areas will be back to the mid- to upper-70s by the afternoon. But Allard wouldnt say whether this is the last week of 70-degree weather.

This tweet from Colleen OBrien probably says it best.

Temperatures are expected to hold in the 70s through Friday. Allard says people in western Washington should expect increasing showers Saturday, and scattered showers on Sunday.

Showers and cooler temperatures could continue into early next week, according to Allard.

As for the coming weeks, I guess well just have to wait and see. At least its been warm enough to melt that giant ice cube in Occidental Park.

The ice cube, which was placed by Olson Kundig as public art, is melting rapidly, according to University of Washington Atmospheric Sciences Professor Cliff Mass. By Monday night the ice cube was substantially diminished.

Source: http://mynorthwest.com/392473/seattle-weather-cooling-down/

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How to cope with what"s shaping up as the Northwest"s "most powerful storm"

Winter in Seattle Washington (2013)

Seattle City Light employees work at a substation. (Credit: Seattle.gov)

Theres a storm coming. A big one. So big that Seattle weather guru Cliff Mass says it could match the most powerful storm in NW history the Big Blow, which hit exactly 54 years ago today.

My head is spinning with the action that may be occurring around here, the University of Washington professor of atmospheric scienceswrote in a blog post on Tuesday.

This morning, he followed up by calling attention to an amazing plume of moisture spreading across the Pacific and leading to Typhoon Songda. Never saw anything like this, he said.

The action is expected to start on Thursday, when a strong Pacific cyclone approaches the coast. That could whip up winds that gust up to 57 mph along the coast and over portions of Seattle.

Expect a lot of power failures, Mass said. Be prepared.

As the low-pressure system swirls eastward, Seattle could get a couple of inches of rain, whipped up by winds. Mass said Fridays storm could represent one of the strongest weather events of a typical weather season. But folks, this is just a warmup for the real action on Saturday, he added.

Thats when an even more powerfulcyclone, associated with the remnants of Typhoon Songda, is due to hit the Northwest. Computer models suggest that its strength could hit the same level as 1962s historic Columbus Day storm, with sustained winds in excess of60 mph.

Mass noted that the heart of the storm isnt currently projected to deal a direct hit toSeattle, but he also saidtheres some uncertainty to the models.

If the models are wrong, and the storms track heads further east, Puget Sound could get a very major hit with massive power outages and damage, he said. This is a very dangerous storm.

For what its worth, The Weather Channels Brian Doneganconcurs with that opinion. He sees the potential for destructive winds, flooding rain, huge waves and coastal flooding in Washington, Oregon and far northern California.

So what should you do about it?

Make sure you have an emergency preparedness kit that includes a working flashlight, a portable radio (remember those?), extra batteries, a manual can opener, and glow-in-the-dark light sticks or electric lanterns.The American Red Cross gives you the complete rundown on what the kit should contain.

The Red Cross also advises having up to a weeks worth of food and water on hand for emergencies, and keeping your cars gas tank full.

For communication, have a corded, wired phone available if you can. (Cordless phones wont work during a power outage.) Keep your mobile devices charged up, and top off any portable chargers as well. Be extra-vigilant about backing up computer files, just in case theres an extended outage.

You can be a good neighbor by clearing away leaves and other debris from storm drains in advance of the storm, and trimming back any tree branches on your property that might cause trouble if they were to break off. If the storm gets really wild, stay safe inside if you can and stay off the roads.

Seattle City Light has its own tips for reporting and dealing with power outages, as does Puget Sound Energy. PSE has a mobile app that can help you report and track outages, while City Light has a mobile-friendly website for doing the same.

For still more advice, including emergency checklists printed in 10 languages, check out the Take Winter by Storm website.

Source: http://www.geekwire.com/2016/how-to-cope-seattle-powerful-storm/

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