West Seattle weather alert: Thunderstorms move through, leaving notable rainfall behind

11:32 AM: Thanks to Darcey for that photo, tweeted from White Center, looking south. She sent it just as thunderstorms are moving through the area. The National Weather Service issued a short-term alert a few minutes ago, saying this is likely to last for the next hour or so.

NOON UPDATE: The rain intensified but is now getting lighter, as is the sky. Meantime, weather analyst Cliff Mass showed a different perspective of what you see in Darcey’s photo above, and noted that what’s seen from the clouds is “virga.”

(Another perspective, from Barb)
12:15 PM UPDATE: Rain’s stopped, sun’s out. That was enough rain for puddles on the road, though. Also: Seattle Parks temporarily closed all its outdoor aquatics facilities – Colman Pool included – because of the thunderstorm and lightning danger. We’ll update if we get word they’re open again. Parks says the wading pools will NOT reopen, “because of the time and water it takes to drain and re-fill them.”

1:25 PM: The clouds rolled back in again and we’ve just heard more thunder.

1:49 PM: The first round of rainfall was a pretty decent dousing, says the NWS:

The 0.45 inches of rain between 11 and noon at Sea-Tac is the most rain there in one day since April 13th

— NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) August 12, 2015

ScottM August 12, 2015 (12:09 pm)

Storms are cool, but anyone know about the smell of smoke in the air?

WSB August 12, 2015 (12:12 pm)

No fires in the city. I checked the websites that track Northwest wildfires and found this in one update:
.
“The smoke that is impacting the peninsula is coming from more than the Paradise Fire. There are numerous fires actively burning around the northwest and Canada that are impacting the area with smoke. To see the most up to date weather patterns that are moving the smoke, check out http://www.ospo.noaa.gov/Products/land/fire.html or http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/FIRE/sat_west.html ”
.
That was excerpted btw from http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/article/4305/26794/

just wondering August 12, 2015 (12:13 pm)

I was wondering the same thing…

Kadoo August 12, 2015 (12:15 pm)

There was a fire in the dumpster behind Easy Street earlier today I hear.

WSB August 12, 2015 (12:21 pm)

There’s an “investigate/out of service” dispatch for 4302 SW Alaska at 10 am on the log, but no working-fire calls anywhere in West Seattle otherwise so far since midnight.

Diane August 12, 2015 (12:49 pm)

that was fun; more please

Mikekey August 12, 2015 (12:56 pm)

I saw that cloud formation while driving from White Center to Burien, going south on Ambaum and thought it was just the remains of a jet contrail.

JoB August 12, 2015 (1:12 pm)

me too

HappyOnAlki August 12, 2015 (1:44 pm)

Still waiting for the rain on Alki. Maybe next time . . . .

WSB August 12, 2015 (1:55 pm)

Really? Alki was in the rain shadow? Sorry to hear that. Here in Upper Fauntleroy, we’ve seen two rounds, including what I suspect was the same full half-inch Sea-Tac recorded.

HelperMonkey August 12, 2015 (2:08 pm)

I think the rain has driven everyone mad. In just one short trip to the junction and back I was nearly hit twice and saw an altercation between an Audi brakechecking a bike rider who almost went down. Lunatics. Learn how to drive in the weather – news flash, it happens often here. Collectively West Seattlites are driving like complete and total a-holes today.

WSB August 12, 2015 (2:15 pm)

Helper, you have just made me reconsider my idea to go get a new photo of a for-sale property, which would require driving a few miles. Will stick with the file photo and hope for no breaking news!

Bob August 12, 2015 (2:11 pm)

Was really hoping for rain up in Greenwood/Shoreline but just got a bare drizzle. Did enjoy the lightning though!

westseaneighbor August 12, 2015 (2:22 pm)

@helpermonkey, pardon my ignorance, but what is “brakechecking”. I sincerely don’t know.

Genesee Hiller August 12, 2015 (2:23 pm)

Barely a drizzle up on Genesee Hill. We were very hopeful, but it didn’t happen for us. :-(

HelperMonkey August 12, 2015 (2:37 pm)

@westseaneighbor: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=brake+check
.
WSB – stay inside until the sun comes back! :)

Ray August 12, 2015 (2:45 pm)

Q13 had a news/weather report last night showing that the smoke from the last day or so was streaming up from the fires in California, along the same path that today’s storm flowed.