West Seattle Weather Watch update: Still unsettled

6:14 AM UPDATE: If you look at the regional map on the National Weather Service‘s Seattle home page, you’ll notice various types of weather alerts are in effect almost everywhere – but NOT here in the city. Nonetheless, the newest forecast says it’ll be very windy, to say the least (and you might already have heard evidence of that in the very early morning hours). As always, we’ll keep watch through the day, with updates if things go beyond general blusteriness. (And if you have anything to report – 206-293-6302, any time, text or voice; thank you!)

8:37 AM UPDATE: As commenter/meteorologist Patrick notes, a wind advisory is now up for our area. See it here.

9:08 PM UPDATE: The wind advisory expired this afternoon without anything serious happening. But the weather is still unsettled, and some snow might be mixed in with overnight/morning showers. Here’s the newest forecast.

9 Replies to "West Seattle Weather Watch update: Still unsettled"

  • Patrick March 12, 2012 (7:18 am)

    Ok, I will post an update here for those of you who are interested or dont want to try and decipher the technical jargon on the NWS website.
    As it stands right now we have a very deep and rapidly intensifying area of surface low pressure offshore of 967mb ( on par with a Cat-1 Hurricane )

    As this Low moves North in the offshore waters today it will literally shove a very strong cold front into W. washington as the morning progresses thus increasing rainfall amounts and intensity, associated with this front is a Baroclinic band that will enhance precipitation ahead of and behind the front so expect some heavy downpours and some possible thunder and lightning. This is the time that winds here in the central sound will really ramp up and then die down once the front and baro. band push through. I would expect peak winds to increase around the 830-9am time frame and start to back off after 1pm. Behind the front a large pool of colder air works it’s way in here and with 925Mb temps ( At 11,000 feet above sea level ) @ -2C and 850mb temps ( At 5000 feet ASL ) @ -7C I would expect a rain/snow mix or just straight snow in the overnight period tonight into tomorrow morning ( the 0Z NAM model shows a snow level of 300 ft later this evening through the early morning hours of Tuesday.

    Once we get through today and early tomorrow morning, the pattern returns to our typical cloudy and rainy periods for the remainder of the week.

    But Patrick you ask, WHAT ABOUT THE WEEKEND?

    Right now it appears that the 2nd half of Saturday and all of Sunday appear to be dry with temps in the low 50’s….

    Be safe out there today folks.

    OH, one more thing, if you are driving across 520 or I-90 today, make sure you have both hands on the wheel as winds across the lake will be moderately strong.

  • Patrick March 12, 2012 (7:20 am)

    BTW, here is the latest IR image of the ” Monster ” offshore

    http://www.atmos.washington.edu/cgi-bin/latest.cgi?ir4km

  • Patrick March 12, 2012 (8:15 am)

    This graph shows the current pressure falls between KBLI ( Bellingham ) and KSEA ( Seattle )

    http://www.atmos.washington.edu/cgi-bin/latest.cgi?ir4km

    Read the chart from right to left, the lower the number, the higher the gradient and thus increasing wind.

    There’s a bit of meteorological insight for you

  • Patrick March 12, 2012 (8:18 am)

    Seattle metro area NOW under a wind advisory ( just got this info 3 mins ago ) from my contact at NWS

  • Sigh March 12, 2012 (8:44 am)

    Thanks for the info Patrick! I love reading your updates

  • Patrick March 12, 2012 (9:17 am)

    @ Sigh, No problem that’s why I post so frequently during impending severe wx

  • tm March 12, 2012 (9:25 am)

    Good update part of it was Greek to me but I appreciate the work. Lastnight I looked out and there was some crazy mix of snow and hail for a moment. It literally looked like a snow globe with the wind. I’m freezing to death and hoping this weather calms so spring can arrive. I grew up in Seattle and I never remembered to so much wind! But maybe because I live on a high hill facing south in west Seattle? I heard the winds come mainly from the south.

  • Patrick March 12, 2012 (9:31 am)

    @ TM, your location if it faces south will indeed be subjected to southwest wind 75% of the year due to the placement of the jet stream during most of the year ( Minus the 2 and a half weeks in late July/ early August ) here in Western Washington due to the fact that we are the first land mass for incoming storms off the Pacific Ocean.

    The main reason why is because the Jet stream steers weather systems across the ocean and because of the Gulf of Alaska high that sets up in the winter allows a dip in the jet and thus the flow ahead of incoming weather systems is from the south and southwest hence winds from the South and SW direction/s

    Hope that helps

  • tm March 12, 2012 (9:57 am)

    Very good thank you! Big difference from where I grew up on Cap Hill. I go to my friends houses and wonder why they don’t have to batton down the hatches like us. Things break off our house (American flag), forget a wind chime it’s instantly annoying and the rain slashes at our windows like a wave over the bow of a ship. It would only be worth it to me if I was waterfront! I don’t think I will pick another South facing home in this area unless its sheltered.

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